Space Is No Place For The Weak
by degenerate.otaku
Summary: Young Raditz, an intelligent, yet naive low class Saiyan soldier, has been thrust into the harsh unforgiving conditions of the Frieza Force, following the mysterious destruction of his home planet. Will he be able to survive in a universe that has seemingly turned his back on him? Or will he perish and fade into nothingness just like the rest of his once mighty race?
1. News

**Disclaimer**: DBZ and its characters do not belong to me cuz i am a dumb kid. (Oh By the way..Ive written fanfics before but this is the first ive published.._please be nice!_...but constructive criticism and ideas are welcome! idk how frequently i will be uploading...but Enjoy!)

(**this chapter has been edited by my lovely fwend and beta reader RoyalBlueRoses so your eyes dont suffer as much :)**

* * *

A boy sat, waiting in an office. He counted the number of space pods flying outside the window from the large vessel he was currently riding in. The boy had nothing better to do, but observe his unfamiliar surroundings. The woman at the desk was typing rapidly at her computer, perhaps she had worked here for a long time..or maybe her job was so dull that she just seemed weathered by time. The chair he sat in was uncomfortable, causing him to shift around incessantly, attempting to relax. Time passed slowly, the boy was restless. He felt as if he would be stuck in this office, waiting forever.

The woman at the desk interrupted his thoughts.

"Excuse me? I have some...rather, um… sad news to deliver." The boy sat up straight and looked at her, gulping.

"...I regret to inform you that your home planet of Vegeta was destroyed. An asteroid collided with the planet."

The boy nodded and thanked the woman for providing him for this information. He said nothing after that, but his mind kept racing, and questions kept coming into his head.

_'What will I do? Where will I live? Is there anyone else left?'_ His head began to throb painfully from thinking so much. Suddenly he remembered something.

_His family._

They were dead. Gone forever. And his home, the place he loved… _destroyed_. Only his brother was alive. He recalled his mother telling him that Kakarot would be on planet… what was it called? Ee-arth? Something to that effect. The child still kept the messages from his parents on his scouter, the ones they recorded before he'd left.

He played them over, and found himself biting his lip to prevent himself from crying. His father said he was much too old to be crying like a baby. He was 7 and a half now. The last time he cried he was 5, and his father hit him for his behaviour. The boy looked at the red bands on his limbs that reminded of his father. He never liked him too much, but always tried to earn his respect. Whenever he would return home from missions, the boy would show off how much he increased his power level and still, his father would still say that it wasn't good enough.

"Space is no place for the weak." He'd tell the boy constantly. But the child would show him! He'd become even stronger than his father and prove that he was worthy of being called his son. Then he remembered. His father was dead. And so was his mother.

The boy loves...well _loved_ his mother dearly but never showed it. A feeling washed over him all of the sudden. What was it..? _Regret?_ He didn't care. His mother was a fantastic chef, but a terrible fighter, who loved her husband and son greatly, which was unnatural for a saiyan. However, she did have attitude, and every saiyan female has that characteristic. His mother was often bossy, and made the boy study when he wanted to play games or train. He didn't like that about her. He didn't like her nasty frying pan either, which she would use to hit him with when he was being rude, or not listening to her. His mother had also supplied the boy with sweets that she had made. She was very good at making them.

He took out the bag with the sweets and untied the thread around it. The smell from them was cloyingly sweet. He decided that he wasn't going to eat them, because he would never have them again after they were finished, and the sickly sweet scent coming from them was enough to make him throw up. His stomach had been feeling uneasy from the minute he had learned of his planet's destruction. He tied the bag up again.

Hours passed by, the slow click of the clock never-ending. The boy thought maybe he could fall asleep, but it felt impossible. He was beginning to feel rather hungry too. He noticed that the lady at the desk had some biscuits. He looked at them and his stomach growled. The lady took notice. "Come here, boy."

Warily, he went up to the desk.

"Here you go, get something in you." He was given 2 biscuits. _'Is that It?!'_ He thought to himself. He didn't want to ask for more though, he didn't want to seem rude or greedy.

"There's also a water dispenser."

Drinking water made him feel better. So did the biscuits. "So, what's your name, lad?"

"My name is Raditz."

"Well, Raditz, you could very well be the last Saiyan alive.." She mused.

_Clearly. _"I guess.." He only sighed, for a lack of better words.

"I'm terribly sorry for your loss, child." She said, the pity in her voice evident.

"Don't be. We Saiyans aren't sentimental." Hw responded, coldly.

"You aren't sad? I would have thought for someone your age, you would feel upset."

"..No. My family and friends would prefer it if I was strong and didn't show emotions like _sadness_."

"Emotions aren't always weakness, you know?" Raditz pondered how this woman came to work for Lord Frieza. She seemed quite… _nice_.

He talked to the lady for a while, who had revealed her name to be Altra.

"Oh, Raditz, I think they're serving food down the hall. Go up the stairs and take the first right." Raditz only needed to hear the word 'food' and he perked up. He went in search of his…Breakfast? Dinner? He hadn't eaten a proper meal in a while and lost track of the time.

Soon, he was there and he noticed that others were commenting on Planet Vegeta's destruction, and about Raditz. They were shocked that there were survivors. Raditz ordered huge helpings of food and began shovelling it down his throat. Even though it didn't taste very good, and he wasn't sure why exactly it was he was eating so much. He could cook way better, since his mother had taught him how. He didn't care though, and kept eating as it distracted him from his thoughts that kept resurfacing.

He ate many portions and the others in the room were in awe of the boy's appetite. It was only until he heard a greeting in the Saiyan language, did he stop.

He looked up to see a huge man, with a small tuft of hair on his head, and a boy, much, _much_ smaller by comparison, with flame-like hair beside him. Raditz instantly recognised this pair as the famous General Nappa and Prince Vegeta. He was ordered back on his home planet to go and serve these two on missions during the summer break. He didn't expect them to be here.

"Well, don't you know respect!? Greet us back!" Nappa barked. Raditz immediately got up from his seat and nearly tripped doing so. He then bowed and formally greeted them in Saiyan.

"I take it you've heard the news?"

"Y-yes Prince Vegeta.. .It's unfortunate that you'll never become king."

_"It doesn't matter, you low-class fool!_ As long as I become stronger! Stronger than everyone else. Then, I will have done my race proud."

Raditz stayed silent and was about to keep eating when Nappa chimed in.

"That's alot of food, kid." _Alot?_ This wasn't even filling Raditz up!

"And..its gonna be pretty expensive."

"But...General Nappa? I thought that it was free for warriors who work for the Planetary Trade Organisation?"

"_Technically_, you aren't a warrior yet. So you would have to pay." He grimaced.

"W-WHAT!?" Raditz didn't have enough money for all of this. "Relax kid, I'm an elite. Kid, it's…Well _was_ worth more than your house. I'll pay for it, but just this once."

"Really?! Thank you so much, General!"

"But…" Vegeta smirked as Nappa continued.

"You'll be paying me back once you start earning your own money, won't you?" Raditz didn't need his scouter to know that Nappa could crush him with just one hand.

"Y-yes..of course."

"Good. As long as you follow orders..we'll get along, won't we, um… What's your name, kid?"

"Why would you even bother with this trash, Nappa? He doesn't deserve to be called by a name!" Raditz found the Prince rude...but he was sort of right. The way the Prince spoke was strange to Raditz. He figured it was because he was common. The other two had posh accents and spoke proper. His mother told him to speak like that but he found it weird. Besides, his mother was common too.

Raditz sat while Vegeta made fun of him and talked about how he didn't deserve a Saiyan name. He decided he wasn't going to take it.

"My name is Raditz, not trash! And I'm a Saiyan, like you!" The Prince's face changed all of a sudden. Even Nappa gulped.

"Listen here, _low class_. You're lucky this is your first time talking to me. Actually, you're lucky just to be **in** my presence. But you'd better learn how to talk to people of a higher status. You'll get respect when you _deserve_ it. And I don't respect you enough to call you by name. If you _ever_ talk to me like that again...I will make sure you will never talk to _me_ or anyone else **again**...got it?!" Raditz nodded. Despite the Prince being just 5, and being smaller than him, he was much stronger and intimidating. Another thought came into Raditz's mind.

He would be stuck with these two, working under Frieza, for as long as he lived.

Vegeta's scouter beeped. "A message from Lord Frieza's office. He wants us there. Now."

Raditz had never met Lord Frieza before. Of course he knew of him. His race had never liked him, and he had never liked them.

As Raditz went with the others and approached his office, which was conveniently on the same ship, he bit his lip and didn't realise it was bleeding. He was scared and the others knew it. "All you have to do is shut up, kneel down and bow your head. If he asks you something, tell the truth and hide any emotion or fear in your voice." Nappa's advice didn't help the young Saiyan. They came to the door. Raditz licked the blood off his lips, took a deep breath and entered with his new comrades…


	2. Sudden Realisation

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or any of its characters (Apart from the girl later in the chapter but why would you want her anyway?)

**(My story is awful and cringy. I hope I do not make your eyes bleed. If you are crazy enough to read this all...as if it would take a long time...please review! I will accept constructive criticism. Hopefully I could be a better writer than this someday...I really need to pace my stories better)**

The chrome red, steel doors made a eerie creaking sound as the two guards pulled them open.

'_Just follow their lead and you'll be ok!_' Raditz told himself. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. The 3 saiyans walked halfway along the red carpet beneath their feet. Nappa and Vegeta dropped onto one knee and had their right hands over their hearts as expected. Raditz quickly followed suit. He hadn't had much chance to gaze upon Lord Frieza but he did notice the priceless objects scattered around the spacious room. They looked liked artifacts from various planets, they reminded Raditz of treasures he had read about. He enjoyed stories about explorers on fantastic and mystical adventures to find precious things.

Vegeta spoke, since he was the only one with a high enough status allowed to speak without being asked a question or given permission. "Greetings, Lord Frieza. May I ask why you have called for us?"

Lord Frieza swirled his wine glass. "It has come to my attention, and presumably yours, that your home planet has been struck by a meteor and has been completely decimated. You three are the only survivors I have found..unless you know of any more that could have been off world, Prince Vegeta?" Vegeta thought for a moment and replied "No, Lord Frieza, I do not know of any other survivors."

"Ah well..I offer my condolences, Saiyans. The contract I made with your King is still binding, meaning that you three are under my power and will work for the Planet Trade Organisation. I will provide for you accommodation as well as regular payment as and when work is done. Prince Vegeta, you may receive an education, free of charge."

"Uh.. What about me?" Raditz spoke out of turn. Big mistake. A round, pink soldier with spikes looked ready to discipline Raditz in a violent way. "Brat, don't you know how to speak to Lord Frieza!?"

"Hush Dodoria!" Frieza immediately silenced his left-hand man. "Come here child." Frieza spoke in a way that caused shivers to run down Raditz's spine.

"M-me sir?!" Although he had tried to hide his fear, Raditz had shown himself as a frightened child.

"Indeed. Come closer." Raditz looked at his comrades for a moment. They remained expressionless and neither looked like they were going to do something regarding his predicament.

He willed his legs to step forward and looked at Lord Frieza and his two aides. The man on the right had teal skin and was very different to the pink, blobby soldier on the left. Raditz had heard of him before..Zarbon, he remembered. Frieza's 2 aides were well known by all, for their power and how close they were to the tyrant. Raditz felt underwhelmed by Frieza's appearance but he knew appearances were often deceiving. He was small from what Raditz could tell. He sat in his hoverchair and sipped wine in a refined manner.

"Come even closer..I want a good look at you. Stand right in front of me." Raditz, despite his instincts telling him to run far away quickly, walked closer. Frieza grabbed him by his face and dug his claws into his cheeks.

"Hmmm…" Frieza looked the boy up and down then released his grasp. Raditz stepped back a little and hadn't realised his tail had come unfurled from around his waist and had puffed up as a result of fear. "What is your name, boy?"

"My name is Raditz, sir."

"And how old are you?"

"Seven and a half, Lord Frieza." Frieza checked Raditz's power level and chuckled slightly. "For a low class Saiyan child..you are quite powerful. I think you have potential."

"Uh..t-thank you..sir."

"Fate has smiled upon you, boy. You have a chance to prove myself within my empire. You also seem intelligent..but your obedience needs to be worked on. For today, I will let it slide. I will also provide an education for you. Do remember that you are a very lucky monkey."

"O-ok!"

"You mean 'of course, Lord Frieza'."

"Of course, Lord Frieza."

"There's a good boy." Frieza ruffled Raditz's long hair, making the child incredibly uncomfortable.

"You will be provided with a place to stay on Home Base shortly. You are dismissed."

"Thank you, Lord Frieza." The Saiyans bowed and left swiftly. Once out of the room, Raditz fixed his hair and his tail. He felt like he couldn't breathe in there and didn't want to imagine what would happen if he angered Frieza in the future. He knew he would have to be loyal to Frieza to have a chance in his army.

The Saiyans went in silence to reception where they would be told where they were going to live. Raditz did not feel like a '_lucky monkey_', as Frieza put it. He felt the complete opposite. Perhaps he had angered the gods and they felt like he deserved punishment. Raditz knew nothing in his life would be the same again and he would have to grow up fast even if he didn't really want to.

'_Just watch me father. I'll be stronger than you were. Mother, I will make you proud.'_

After hours of waiting around, the temperamental prince became fed up. "Honestly, they expect me to wait around as if I am a commoner! I will not stand this any longer!" He walked up to the lady at the desk, who was the same kind woman Raditz had encountered not long ago, and hovered so that he could be seen over the tall desk. "Hurry up and tell me where I am going to live, woman!"

"Sorry kid, the whole PTO is flooded with paperwork and it's been difficult to locate a place for you to stay."

"I am a prince. And I am far more important than your paperwork. So if you want to live, you had better provide us answers, is that clear!?"

Bardock had called Prince Vegeta a brat in the past, yet Gine had always thought the Saiyan prince was adorable and would scold Bardock for saying such a thing about the heir to the throne. '_Looks like my father was right..' _Raditz thought.

"Alright, alright!" She typed frantically at the keyboard. "Ok.. I found you a place. It..is not as fancy as a palace..but it shall do. Housing unit number 13…room 404. Take tram number 3 from here and it will be in that district. Once you get to the building just state your names and then they shall give you a key to the room."

Vegeta and Nappa walked away without thanking the receptionist. When Raditz walked past her he said in almost a whisper so that the sensitive Saiyan ears of his comrades couldn't hear, "Thanks…I'm sorry if they were rude."

"It's fine.." She stretched out her hand and gave him another biscuit, which he put in his satchel.

He caught up with the others and they briskly made their way to the trams. They remained in silence, all three of them, and disregarded the whispers from other people they passed. "I despise these trams." Vegeta complained, once they got to the station. "They're so crowded…and filled with the most common and vulgar trash from across the universe." Vegeta glanced at Raditz as he spoke.

Raditz did agree that the trams were often crowded but argued that it was useful because tickets could not be checked when the trams were packed. "Me and my dad go on these trams to go to see tournaments. I remember last time.. everyone started chanting some rude song!" Raditz giggled making Vegeta roll his eyes.

"You see what I mean by common and vulgar?" The Prince looked up at his bodyguard. Raditz didn't say anything else after that. He looked at various people around him, trying to guess things about them. He liked to do that often. It was a fun distraction. He looked up at the screen: **T R A M 3- APPROX. 45 MINS DUE TO DELAYS.**

Vegeta and Nappa would lose their shit when they saw. "Guys…since the tram is coming in 45 minutes…do you mind if I go walk around?"

"45 MINUTES!? GRAND ZENO SURELY DESPISES US!" A vein on the commander's forehead was about to burst.

"…If you let me go…I can try find out a reason…or a quicker route."

"Oh I don't care! Just go somewhere where you ain't bothering us! Do NOT get into trouble and remember to buy us snacks from a vending machine, am I clear soldier!?"

"Y-yes sir!" Raditz involuntarily stood up straight, saluted and marched off. Instantly, his natural sense of curiosity kicked in.

'_…Getting into a little bit of trouble is harmless right?'_ He thought.

Soon, he came across a newspaper stand, with a teenage boy selling them. Raditz picked one up and browsed its contents. It included an article about the destruction of his home planet within it. "Hey kid! If you ain't payin', you ain't reading!" The person at the stand soon realised that Raditz was a Saiyan and his confidence quickly turned into cowardice, "Oh! I'm sorry! D-Don't hurt me please! You can take the paper for free!"

"…uh…nah it's ok." Raditz placed the newspaper back on the pile and walked off.

"Ugh! What's with this hold up!?" A disgruntled middle class soldier asked another. "They're scraping some teenage girl from off the tracks down South."

"Tsk! Honestly!"

Raditz overheard their conversation easily. Being a Saiyan meant he had excellent hearing. He also would eavesdrop due to him wanting to know everything, even if there were consequences. It was better to find out something that after hearing it you would rather have not heard it than to never know at all, right? Those were his thoughts, regardless. However, Raditz didn't understand why the girl was on the tracks in the first place. Didn't she know how dangerous the trams were due to their high speeds? '_Perhaps she had fallen?'_ He came up with reasons why the girl had died. '_Maybe I can play detective and find out!'_

Seeing many movies where there were murder mysteries had put this idea into his head. It was always fun to imagine things or to imagine yourself differently. Unfortunately, Raditz had gotten into trouble in the past for being too imaginative and getting carried away.

He walked South, along the rails, as that was where the two middle class soldiers had said the accident had taken place. He reached a point where there were many officers in the area. The rest of the platform and rails were cut off by fences which were guarded.

There was also a large angry mob, who desperately wanted to be on the trams.

"Please calm down folks! We are doing the best we can to resolve this issue!" An officer attempted to calm the people.

"Yeah right!"

"What even happened anyway?!" The mob fired questions at them.

"There has been an unfortunate accident involving a teenage girl. That is all we can provide you with. There will be delays for the rest of the hour." The same officer spoke.

"It's nearly 9pm! Some of us have places to be!" Luckily for them, it was Summer on the base planet and sunset wouldn't happen for another hour.

Raditz grew tired of the endless arguing. He didn't receive an answer with enough detail, meaning he would have to take matters into his own hands. He picked up a pebble that was on the ground and threw it at the officers blocking the way. He proceeded to hide behind other people that were larger than him so that he would not be caught and punished. From seeing the pebble hit the officer, the mob was inspired to turn to violence, which created a distraction, allowing Raditz to sneak through a gap. He was small enough to go unnoticed.

He could see more people on the tracks, as well as some detectives and an ambulance.

'_Wow! It's just like on TV!'_ The boy was surprised at how accurate TV was in recreating crime scenes. Carefully, he hid behind a pillar and watched them work. It was interesting, but after a while, he felt bored. Then, he noticed out of the corner of his eye, a girl, around his age sitting beside a vending machine, close to the ambulance. She had cherry red curls and skin the colour of blossoms. Her dress was light and summery, with an ice cream sauce stain. Even though it was Summer, it felt like Winter to Raditz, who was used to the high heat that emanated from the 2 suns of Vegeta-sei. The girl was visibly crying into her hands.

Everyone else was much too busy to pay attention to Raditz or the crying girl, so he casually made his way over to her. His mother had always told him to be nice to girls. Raditz didn't know why, but would try anyway.

"Hey." He said softly. She didn't reply.

Eating always made Raditz feel better, so he went over to the vending machine and inserted a crumpled note and received an energy drink and bag of crisp. He held them out to her and said "…I'm sorry if you don't like this flavour…do you still want it?"

The girl wiped her eyes and shook her head, confused at his kindness. Most people weren't like that. She wondered if, perhaps, this boy was broken, like her big sister was.

"…You look..sad."

"…my sister is dead." The girl eventually spoke.

"Why? Did she die in battle? Or of illness?

"Suicide."

"…I don't think I know what that means..is that a sickness?"

"S-she jumped into the tracks…she killed herself." She burst into tears.

"…oh..that's why there are delays then.."

The girl stood up and furiously yelled, tears running down her cheeks, "I THOUGHT YOU WERE NICE! Y-YOU'RE JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE! ALL YOU PEOPLE CAN CARE ABOUT IS GETTING ON WITH YOUR LIVES! YOU DON'T CARE THAT MY SISTER KILLED HERSELF BECAUSE OF HOW AWFUL OUR LIVES ARE!! YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT ME OR ANYONE ELSE!"

Raditz did not have any words. She was right. Nobody cared about other people apart from themselves.

"…you probably don't understand…" She turned and was about to walk away.

"No! I get it! My home planet was destroyed…and in the newspaper…they didn't care about me…or any other survivors..they cared about how it would affect the PTO's economy and power!"

Raditz felt pain in the back of his throat. His eyes went watery.

He wasn't…he couldn't.

A wave of realisation hit him.

It hadn't sunk in before. He was alone. No matter how much he deluded himself by saying that Nappa and Vegeta cared. His brother could be dead for all he knew, yet he grasped on to the hope of finding him.

His everything was gone. His friends, family, possessions, he could tell himself a million times that he didn't care, that he should let go of his useless sentiments, but deep down..

Raditz loved Vegeta-sei. Everything about it. He couldn't let go of it, there was no way he could.

He fell to his knees and sobbed shamefully. It had years since he cried like that.

"I'm sorry." The girl said.

Raditz kept crying for a few minutes and to his surprise, the girl did not judge him. She advised him to just keep breathing. After a few minutes, he felt much better.

"My name is Raditz. What's yours?"

"Zaffra."

"Are you a fighter in the Frieza Force, like me?"

"No. My sister was. I can fight..but I'm not as good as she was. I'm going to work in technology..well after I graduate."

"Why did your sister do it?"

Zaffra took out a note.

"My sister wrote this. She couldn't take the pressure anymore." Zaffra passed Raditz the note:

**"Dear world,**** Please forgive my shameless act of cowardice. I have made the decision to end my own life based on the fact that there is no role for me in this universe. I can't take another day of this. Since the death of my parents, I have only been living to keep my sister alive and I can hardly do that because I am a low class warrior, who barely passed the examination to become a soldier. The only options I had left was to sell my sister or to become a prostitute.****To my dear sister, I'm sorry for causing you this pain. The only thing I wanted in life was to give you a future. It's ok if you're angry at me for leaving you but once you are older, I hope you will understand why I made this choice.****-Sillantra"**

Raditz returned the note.

The tannoy made an announcement, cutting through the silence: **TRAM 3 WILL LEAVE IN 5 MINUTES.**

"Zaffra…what will happen to you? How will you earn money?"

"I'll find a way. If not…there are places for minors to take refuge."

"I hope we meet again, Zaffra."

"Me too..Raditz."

He smiled at her and walked away.

After squeezing through the barrier again, Raditz went to wash his face in the restroom nearby, to hide any evidence that he had been crying. He didn't want to seem weaker than what his comrades perceived him to be.

"Well it's about time!" Nappa barked at him, once he returned. "What took so long?!"

"I was exploring.."

"I hope you found a vending machine during your..exploring!" Raditz held the snacks out once again. The commander snatched them out of his hands and began to munch on them. Prince Vegeta refused to eat anything. Finally, the tram came.

The Saiyans were lucky to have found empty seats to sit on. Raditz stared blankly out of the window. As the world outside blazed past, he thought about Zaffra, and how he felt less lonely when he was in her presence.

He truly hoped they would meet again.


	3. New Home

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or any of its characters...insert the rest of the tfs disclaimer here. **

**(Honestly why are you reading this trash?)**

**I humbly accept any comments and feedback as well as ideas going forward. Oh also huge shout out to Jakei-Sama for his story-Governed and Over 8000 for 'You can break me but you will never take my pride' (i hope i wrote that correctly), for being amazing writers, who have inspired me to write..I doubt they would ever read this though..tbh you should be reading their stuff instead of my own.**

**anyway...on with the story! (sorry for the long intro that no one will read)**

*****

The tram halted and the doors opened. After stepping out, Raditz instantly knew that Lord Frieza had specifically chosen such a poor area for the Saiyans to live in.

_'Shit…I thought the markets in Vegeta-sei were sketchy..'_

"What a dump." Nappa sighed.

They waded through the trash covered streets and came to housing unit number 13. "Well boys..this is it." The only pleasant thing that this place had, Raditz concluded, was the sunset. There was nothing too special about it, yet the colour of the sky reminded Raditz of his home.

If only the place they were going to live in was as warm and inviting.

Nappa pressed a buzzer. The voice that came out of the speaker was almost unintelligible due to the primitive technology. Whilst Nappa was talking into the microphone, Raditz observed the building. It was covered with graffiti, which provided the only bit of colour on the dull, standard building.

Soon, the door was opened by a woman, who looked as if she was in the middle of sweeping the floors. She had auburn locks with pink streaks that was tied in a messy bun. Her ears were pointy, and so were her teeth. She had wings, indicating she was some sort of fairy-like creature. Raditz presumed by her clothing that she was the janitor in this unit.

"Hello. It's lovely to meet you!" She bowed and dropped her broom clumsily.

"Whoops!" The woman nervously laughed and reached down to pick up her broom. Raditz picked it up before she could and gave it to her.

"Here you go, miss!"

She smiled and introduced herself, "Oh, I'm terrible at introductions, my name is Kafi! I own this place..and live here…and work here. What's your name, kid?"

"I'm Raditz. It's nice to meet you, Miss Kafi."

Kafi looked up at Nappa, "Well isn't he polite?"

She bent down to Raditz again, "You seem like a nice boy!" She looked at Vegeta. "And who is this cutie?"

"FOR YOUR INFORMATION, WOMAN..I AM NOT A 'CUTIE'! I AM VEGETA, PRINCE OF ALL SAIYANS!"

"Aww! How lovely! Oh, I just remembered…It's awful you lost everything..I hope I can make you comfortable here!" Vegeta growled following her remarks.

Kafi's positive attitude was refreshing. She showed the Saiyans to their room. They had to take the stairs because of a malfunction with the lifts, but Kafi remained optimistic even when she talked about that. Her clumsiness and constant optimism reminded Raditz strongly of his now deceased mother. He was still not used to thinking of her in the past tense.

"The apartment is rather empty..but I think that within a few months you can make it look lovely! Also..I have some things for you..since you don't have much. Please excuse me for just a moment!"

She returned carrying various items of food that only required heating with a microwave or boiling water.

"Don't worry…I'll leave you alone now." She nervously giggled again and left.

Raditz liked Kafi. Just like Zaffra, when she was around, he felt at ease. Looking around the room, he spotted a small tv, an old, torn leather sofa in front of it and a table. He walked into the kitchen which was connected to the living room and was startled by a mouse that spotted Raditz and scampered back into its hole beside the washing machine. He opened the cupboards, which held nothing, and placed the food from Kafi inside.

"This TV is bust!" Nappa fiddled with the antenna to no avail. "Where's Vegeta?" Raditz asked.

"Eh? Oh, he went to one of the bedrooms. I…wouldn't bother him if I were you…He's in a bad mood."

"I…guess that's understandable."

Raditz went past Vegeta's room and entered the one adjacent to it.

Placing his satchel on the bed, he noticed a painting on the wall. It was a painting of a park, most likely on another planet, due to its mystical look and the colours used within the painting. The room itself, was around the size of the bedroom he had on Vegeta-Sei and was rather plain. The bed was placed by the window, which had uneven blinds. The view outside was surprisingly pleasant, the sunset could be seen behind the ocean in the distance.

_'If there's an ocean…there's gotta be a beach!'_

He lived close to the Western coast on his planet. The sand was the colour of rust and the still turquoise water would sparkle in the sunlight. Whenever Raditz had the chance to, he would go down to the beach, usually to clear his head. Sometimes, his mother would go with him and they would have picnics. Or on some days, his father would take him there for training.

Raditz decided that tomorrow he would go to the beach of this planet, to find a place where he could relax and not be bothered by anyone-his own little hiding place, away from the world. That sounded pleasant. For now, he would explore this building. He came out of his new bedroom and found that Nappa miraculously repaired the television.

"I'm bored."

"You can come watch the TV. It's not got the kid channels though. They cost way too much anyway"

"I'd rather talk to the neighbours."

Nappa scoffed, "Why in the name of Zeno would you want to do that?!"

"Um...to learn about this place?"

"You're even more strange than I thought. Ok..go but remember, DO NOT-"

"Get into trouble, I know!" He left, disregarding his guardian's words.

Raditz began to knock on every door, starting on his floor. 403 had no answer. Probably because it was getting very late now. He would check again tomorrow.

402 was next down. A girl around Vegeta's age opened the door.

"My mom says I shouldn't talk to strangers.." She seemed frightened. She began to pull the door to close it.

"My name is Raditz…and I live here now with two other Saiyans in 404. There! Now I am not a stranger!" He gave her a toothy grin and revealed his sharp canines, which shocked the girl.

"I-I should go now..my mom wouldn't like it if she knew that I was staying up so late." She closed the door abruptly.

"…bye." How disappointing! He learned nothing, not even her name. Well…he knew that people were living there, at least two.

He continued to knock on every door, though most did not answer. He discovered that most of the people residing in the building were dirt poor, just like him, and were mostly low class fighters, with some working non-combatant jobs. There were also more children around to play with, which pleased him since Prince Vegeta did not seem like a kid who liked to have fun.

Raditz guessed that Vegeta's idea of fun was slaughtering races of weaker people or training to become better than anyone. Well, he knew that was most Saiyan children's idea of fun. Raditz wondered if Vegeta knew how to be a child at all. Could he imagine things? Did he ever watch cartoons? Did he like sweets? He would find out eventually, he hoped. Not knowing things was the absolute worst!

Soon, Raditz had checked every single room and was on the ground floor. He was ready to go all the way back up the stairs and go eat something in his room (as he was very hungry by this time), when he heard a door groaning as it opened behind the stairs.

It turns out that there was a basement. He flipped the light switch on and walked down the stairs. Halfway down, the bulb went out, leaving him in complete pitch blackness. Carefully, so that he would not trip down the creaking wooden stairs, he made his way down one step at a time. He noticed that it was colder down here and he felt like he was being followed, like there was something looming in the shadows behind him. His only guidance was the small sliver of light coming from the door that lay in front of him. Easily, he pushed the door open.

This room was another apartment. It was well furnished compared to his own, the wallpaper was less of an eyesore and so were the curtains. Everything was much, much cleaner in this place.

"H-Hello?" Raditz hated how he sounded just then. As if he was petrified!

"Oh!" Kafi jumped and some popcorn flew out of her bowl. She was watching a TV show and was now dressed in her pajamas. "You startled me, kid!" She laughed sheepishly.

"I'm very sorry, Miss Ka- oh is that the finale of 'Galaxy's best artist'?!" He pointed to the TV. He was watching the semi-final with his mother a few evenings ago. At first, he found the show uninteresting, but found himself drawn into it. He didn't know why.

Kafi was taken aback by Raditz's reaction to the show.

"Uh..yeah..I didn't think Saiyans were into these kinda shows.."

"W-well…I'm not into it…not really! My mother is though!" He felt embarrassed about how just un-saiyanlike he had just sounded.

_'Damn..I don't have the heart to correct the kid…he's still referring to his mother like she's still alive. Even though his people committed such horrific atrocities..I feel kinda bad for him..he's so different to the other two of his kind that are left.'_ Kafi thought to herself.

"Hey…Raditz, right?" The boy nodded. "You can watch the final with me if you like…we can share the rest of the popcorn."

"No, it's ok..you have already done enough for me! I should go to bed."

As if he would fall asleep. He found it difficult to sleep in unfamiliar places. He guaranteed he would be awake for the entire night, most likely overthinking everything, as usual.

"It's fine. It isn't like you have school tomorrow. You wouldn't be imposing, don't worry." She tapped the sofa, which motioned him to sit down.

Sitting on the sofa of a lady he had just met an hour ago was not on Raditz's to-do list for the day…but neither was losing pretty much everything and everyone he ever knew, meeting Lord Frieza himself and befriending a girl who's sister comitted suicide. It had been…a crazy day, to put it in simple terms.

"Would you like any tea?"

"No thank you, Miss Kafi."

"Tea not your thing, eh, kid?"

"I do like tea…but only when my mother makes it. She says that tea can fix anything...well pretty much anything. I don't mean to insult your tea making skills though."

"Would you like anything else? Don't be shy! I've got plenty of food, it will all go to waste!"

"Why do you have so much food if it's only you living in here?"

"I forgot to mention..I have two sons around your age. I think you'll get along well, they should be back before summer is over."

"Where did they go?"

"Oh, Lord Frieza sent them away to some..'summer camp'. I bought a shedload of food to last the summer…but Frieza said that their trip was compulsory. Ah well, at least I didn't have to pay..but I hope they're alright..

I think you and your race are aware of how Frieza tends to treat people.."

"Does your husband live here?" Raditz didn't see a ring on Kafi's finger but she must have been with someone at some point, right?

"No..I was never married.." From her tone, Raditz sensed that it was best to change the subject.

"Uh..who do you think will be the winner?" The show was just about to reach its climax.

"Oh definitely Ikeva. She's my favourite."

"Mine too. She really deserves it."

Ikeva did not win. Raditz knew that if his mother saw this, she would be ranting about how the competition was rigged or something along those lines.

"Aw. Oh, I really should get going..Nappa would worry…well..I hope he would worry." He stood up, ready to leave but then noticed a painting on Kafi's wall, in a similar style to the one in his room.

"You're welcome back anytime!"

"That painting…where did you get it from? I saw a similar one in my bedroom."

"Oh that? It's..just something I did a while ago. I've put a lot of my paintings in different rooms…just to liven the place up a lil', you know?"

"They're so good! You should enter that painting competition, I bet you'd win!"

"N-no way! I'm glad you like them so much..but they just aren't enough for that competition..besides I can't really leave here. I have a lot of work to do! And I need to look after my boys."

Raditz could tell she was just looking for reasons not to go. He sensed that she was unhappy, even behind her smile.

"I guess that's..understandable…um..Good night, Miss Kafi!"

"Night, Raditz. I hope you sleep ok." Just as he was at the door, Kafi added, "Hey..even though it doesn't seem like it now..things will get better for you..I can just tell." He grinned at her and left, making sure the door was closed.

He managed to get back up the stairs in one piece, despite the flickering light. When he finally went back to his apartment, he found Nappa lying asleep on the couch, the volume of his snoring akin to vehicle engines. Raditz thought his snoring was just like his father's. There were empty ramen cups on the table that had a strong, savoury aroma. Raditz disposed of these. He was surprised that he no longer wished to eat. His eyes had become heavy and he could only think about sleep.

As he passed Prince Vegeta's door he considered checking on him, to see if he was asleep, but decided this would not be a good idea, in case he woke him. Raditz didn't like to be woken from his sleep and presumed that Vegeta also didn't.

Laying himself down on the bed, he noticed how thin the mattress was. The springs within it creaked, even though he wasn't very heavy. The pillow was also much too soft and flat. His head sunk deeply into it, and not in a comfortable way. The sheets, too, were uneven, with one end thicker than the other. Raditz tried his best to rectify the issues with the bed, but didn't make a lot of difference. He felt very frustrated now and like he was going to cry, which angered him further. He continuously tossed and turned, trying to make himself more comfortable.

_'Ugh! Why can't I just sleep already!? I've been lying here for like forever!' _

He thought about how he could make himself sleep. Tea?

No, it was much too late for tea, he would just need the bathroom after.

Tv?

Fat chance trying to find the remote and not waking anyone up. He looked around the room and suddenly, he remembered. In his satchel he pulled out a book. It was a notebook he had filled over time with diary entries and stories he had written, as well as some doodles. He was looking for a good story to tire his perpetually running brain out, when he found an interesting diary entry he had written last year while he was flicking through pages:

_"Dear Diary,__I really wish my family would go away sometimes!__My daddy can be so mean. He said we would train when he got back from work and I was so excited! He came back and he checked my power level to see how well I was doing. I went up by 30 in a week and I thought he would be happy. He told me he 'expected better from me at this age' and that 'if I'm gonna be a good fighter I have to try harder and be better.'__I got angry at him and tried to hit him but he caught my fist even though that was my strongest punch! He knocked me to the floor easily. It hurt and my eyes were watery. I was NOT crying though! My dad thought I was crying and hit me again."_

Raditz didn't want to read any more. That wish about wanting his family to go away..

The gods had sent a punishment for having such thoughts, he figured. He refused to think about it any longer and found a story he had been writing for sometime, but had not yet finished.

The story was about a brave boy, who was once an outcast, gaining special and magical powers that couldn't be understood by other people and rising up to become the hero to save them. He made the boy like himself…but of course, much better. Raditz recalled his mother telling him that everyone has a story and that the decisions they make leads to the type of ending they get.

He hoped his story would be as awesome as the one he had written and that he would get his happily ever after.

_'I guess this is just the part of the story where things go wrong for the hero…'_ He thought about the events that occurred in his own life._ 'At least, after the part of the story where bad things happen, the hero undoes the bad things and everything works out!'_

When he kept reading what he had written, his hopes grew. He was certain he was as courageous and strong as the boy in his story, he just had to be.

He put the book away and fell asleep.


	4. Perilous Proposition

**(Ew why are you still reading this garbage, there's better stuff out there, you know?)****I don't own DBZ, blah blah *insert boring disclaimer here*****(Also yes I know that I don't really stick to the usual Saibamen creation method. I haven't seen Saiyan saga in ages..lets just say these Saibamen are different to the ones in the show because..these are older models?? yes ok that was some lazy plot stuff. Sorry.**

**I would also appreciate any ideas or feedback and criticism as long as it is constructive..I don't think anyone's willing to be a beta reader for this shit are they?)**

**ok have fun reading, kiddies.**

Raditz was sure that he was the first in the building to be awake.

He had been staring up at the ceiling since 3am and had familiarised himself with all of the cracks and spots on it. Supposedly, this information was useful, since it was good to know where the ceiling would leak in Winter. What else would he be doing anyway? There was no one else to have a conversation with. Nothing he could do without disturbing someone's sleep. He considered writing in his notebook or reading but felt like it was hard to focus.

Eventually, he went to the bathroom. The mirror was covered in a thick layer of dust. Raditz hovered to its level and ran his finger across the mirror. The toilet was working, thank the gods. After relieving himself, struggling to turn the rusty taps on and shaking his hands dry (since there was no towel), he exited.

When he stepped out he saw Prince Vegeta standing outside his room, the door behind him open. Both boys stared each other dead in the eye and wished the other to be gone. Nappa's snoring cut through the awkward silence.

"What are you doing awake? It ain't even sunrise yet, Vegeta."

"PRINCE Vegeta to you, ugh, does your peasant brain remember anything?!" Raditz shushed him, so that he wouldn't wake up their sleeping guardian.

"Don't worry about him, his skull is so thick he can't hear us, honestly, he could sleep through wars!" Raditz giggled even though he knew that what his Prince had said was quite rude.

"How long have you been awake, Prince Vegeta?"

"Longer than you have. I'd say around 3 hours ago."

"Well..you should get some rest. It isn't healthy to lose a lot of sleep."

"And yet here you are, awake."

Raditz saw the dark circles beneath the eyes of his prince. He decided that, even though Vegeta was cruel in his speech, he would help him.

"If you want…I can help you sleep?"

"I don't want your help or need it! Besides, how could you even help? Looks like you have insomnia too, so how can you help me if you can't fix yourself?!"

_'What in the HFIL is that?'_

"Uh..I don't think I have inso-..in..some..whatsa?"

"Insomnia."

"That's what I meant! Anyway..sometimes stories help me sleep."

"Like..legends? Tales like the super saiyan one?"

"Sure I guess..I'm pretty good at making stories like that one up. People say I'm imaginative..sometimes too imaginative for my own good.."

Vegeta ended up agreeing after thinking about it. They went into Vegeta's room and the prince got himself into bed while Raditz sat on the edge of it.

"What kinda story you want?"

"The super saiyan legend, of course!"

"I...can't remember all of it..sorry."

"Well I do and I'm younger than you!"

"If you know it so well, why are you asking to hear it again, don'tcha get bored of it?"

"I…I just…ugh! You wouldn't get it!"

Raditz didn't understand why Vegeta acted strangely upon mention of the tale.

"Well..I know other Saiyan stories..some that are more traditional around where I lived..you probably haven't heard them. Or..I could tell you a story about you!"

"How is that possible? You're going to create a tale about me? You hardly know anything about me!"

"I can tell you a story about how you defeat Frieza and become the super saiyan legend!"

"That sounds..rather pleasant. Alright then. You shall tell me this tale..and it had better be good!"

"Ok...once upon a time..there was a small prince." Vegeta growled.

"I am NOT small!"

"Ok, ok! He was..not small..no..his stature and demeanour was threatening to all of his loyal subjects. One day..he and his people came under the rule of a vicious tyrant. He was ruthless..and very, very ugly. So ugly, he had a face not even a mother could love!"

Vegeta laughed briefly, but his face rapidly returned to its serious look once he had noticed Raditz was looking at him.

"The Prince was angry. He stormed straight into the Lizard's office..powering up as he did so. He was courageous and had a strong sense of pride. He had to protect his people, no matter what! When he stood in front of the emperor..he thought of the prophecy..it had to be him! The tyrant began to fight the prince..and he didn't play fair! He held the prince tightly in his grasp..his energy was fading fast.."

"When does it get to the me winning part?!"

"Hey, just wait, I'm getting there! The prince thought he had lost..he thought about everyone, everything he stood for. He wasn't gonna let his pride be taken like this! Then it happened..he was a super saiyan!" Vegeta's eyes shone with hope now, he could see it all in his head, perfectly.

"The tyrant was soon defeated. However..the prince made sure he was punished for what he had done! He tortured the lizard until he begged and cried like a little bitch!"

"And..then what happened?"

"Um..I guess he lived happily ever after?"

"I wanted him to take over the universe!"

"Ok..he lived happily ever after..as the emperor of the universe!"

"Tell me more..I am not tired yet!"

Raditz had enjoyed telling him the story, even though Vegeta kept interrupting. He continued to let his mind run wild, he saw how enthralled the Prince was, how he hung off Raditz's every word.

Soon, the Saiyan Prince had fallen asleep. He looked peaceful when he was asleep, Raditz thought, less murdery, more..like an actual child.

Raditz, however, stayed awake for the next few hours and by 10am everyone was awake. Vegeta acted like what had happened before never occured, and maintained his regal and formal attitude. It kinda hurt Raditz. Even though he had just seen another side of the Prince, he felt like he got no closer to him.

"You boys up for training?"

Nappa poured boiling water into the cups of ramen.

"Not really. I wanna check this place out." How could he train when so much plagued his mind?

"Sorry to tell ya kid, but I don't think you'll find anything exciting."

Vegeta cut in, "There's no point asking him to train with us Nappa, he'll only distract us!"

Raditz knew he shouldn't fight back, since the only outcome would be defeat..but still felt the desire to say something, to stand up for himself.

His desire was so strong it overtook reason.

"What do you mean?! I am one of the strongest low class Saiyan children! I'll prove my worth!"

Vegeta looked ready to strike, but Nappa, sensing the high tension in the room, declared, "Well, it looks like Raditz will be joining us, after all! Now, less talkin' more eatin'!"

They ate their breakfast (which was an incredibly light one for Saiyan appetites) and made their way to the centre.

_'You can do this! Show 'em that us low classes are not weak, just like how father taught you!'_ Raditz was so lost in his own thoughts, trying to hype himself up, he hardly realised he entered the training centre. The gravity was higher than Raditz was used to. Planets he went to usually had a lower gravity level. He fell over, losing his balance after a single step.

"What in the name of the gods are you doing, boy?!" Nappa turned to him whilst Vegeta stared and bit his lip, trying not to burst into raucous laughter.

"Sorry, I didn't expect the gravity to be this high!" He struggled, but managed to get back up, slowly adjusting as he moved.

"Hmph! This is nothing to a real fighter!" Vegeta just had to make him feel worse. "I've been on planets with gravity much higher than this, even when I was 3!"

_'It's all mind games! Don't listen to them! They're scared of your potential, remember?'_

"Nappa! Tell these people I demand a training room with 5 high level Saibamen!" Vegeta ordered.

"If you say so, Prince." Nappa walked up to the desk and told them.

"Prince Vegeta, are you sure you can handle that many Saibamen?" Raditz could hardly beat one. Vegeta wasn't that strong, he couldn't be!

"Oh, please! This is only a warm up for me!"

Vegeta went into the room and got into a firm battle stance. The Saibamen looked eager to attack. Raditz and Nappa stood, behind the viewing screen, watching every slight movement.

The Saibamen struck first.

Vegeta dodged their attacks effortlessly.

"Looks like it's my turn!" The Prince of Saiyans made his move. He kicked the head off of one Saibamen and leaped into the air, knowing the others would try to grasp him. Raditz could only stare, eyes wide, mouth agape. His Prince perfectly planned every punch, every kick, every blast.

Raditz should have felt pride swelling in his chest. Prince Vegeta was the embodiment of his race. He was everything they stood for.

But all Raditz could feel was envy.

_'IT ISN'T FAIR! Why can he do all of that, yet I can't?! He's never had to work for anything, he was born with his power! Even when I can fight that well..he'll still be better. I can't do this. Oh my Zeno, I'm a fool! How could I have believed..believed that I could survive here!? And now..they expect to see me fight, to kill. What if I can't do it?! What if I'm really a screw up, like people said?! I can't..'_

"Nappa, please excuse me, I'm going to the bathroom!" Raditz somehow regained his voice and rushed off urgently.

'_What the heck is with that boy?!'_ Nappa shook his head. Vegeta emerged from the training room, his small frame dripping with sweat.

"Oh dear, did I scare that trash away?" Vegeta laughed scornfully, after noticing the low class was gone.

Once in the bathroom, Raditz learnt that instant ramen did not taste so good when it came back up. It was fortunate that no one was in the bathroom to witness such an embarrassing thing.

He was hardly ever sick. When he was thinking about Vegeta and being in battle, his head started to spin and he felt like his lungs didn't work. The sensation, however, was not unfamiliar. He recalled the feeling from when he had first killed a sentient being. He expected killing to be pleasant, he was not like his mother, after all. Although by the time he was 7 and had killed quite a few, he still felt uneasy about it.

He stopped thinking about everything and looked at himself in the mirror.

'You are a fucking mess.' His own reflection spat at him. 'I bet your parents are having fun without us in hell...even if they are eternally tortured, at least they don't have to bear the burden of you. You're a mistake. Even your Papa said it.'

"Shut up!" He put his hands over his ears and shut his eyes tight. He despised his reflection. It was always telling him the things he didn't want to hear. Raditz quickly cleaned himself up and headed back to his comrades.

"Finally!" Vegeta came up to him. "Now, I want to see what you can do. My father sent you with me because you were supposedly one of the best low class children, right?"

"Well, yes. But..your father also sent me because of my intelligence! I'm also one of the smartest Saiyan children!"

"We can see how clever you are when we go on a mission. But right now, as your Prince, I order you to go in there and face two standard level Saibamen. Is that clear?"

Nappa had already told the staff to set everything up. He couldn't admit he had never beaten 2 Saibamen before, no, that would make him look pathetic! There had to be a way out of this, he could find a way to solve anything!

"Hey..if it's ok with you..Prince Vegeta..I would like to get some water from the fountain just outside. It's hard to fight when parched, am I right?" Raditz nervously laughed.

"Very well. But hurry this time."

Raditz didn't expect that to go so well. Now for the next part of his plan: Break into the store room and destroy all of the Saibamen seeds.

Locating the store room wasn't much of a challenge. The door did have a sign on it, after all. The challenge was gaining entry to it.

_'A keycard? Huh, I would have thought it would be more high tech than this..'_

He scanned the entire room. There was nothing unusual or particularly helpful, only people training.

The front desk, however, was left unattended.

'_There's bound to be a card behind there!'_

He sneaked past people, those who caught sight of him gave him a hard stare. Raditz managed to get behind the desk unseen. He knelt down, checked no one was approaching and rummaged through the drawers, until, at long last he had found the keycard.

Stealthily, he made his way back to the door.

DING!

The sound of success echoed in his ears as he swiped the card.

The room was more like a laboratory, of the high calibre he expected of a PTO run centre. He blasted his way through the lab, destroying all of the Saibamen seeds. He dusted his hands off and felt proud of his work. 'Not bad! Now there's no way I can lose a fight to them!'

He quickly left and nonchalantly went back to his comrades.

"I hope you're ready now, low-class." Vegeta turned to him. The staff went to check in the room.

_'Now all I gotta do is look suprised when they return and tell u11s there are none left, and I'm free!'_

A scream came from the room..as well as the sounds of a whole crop of Saibamen.

_'Uh-oh..'_

The Saibamen ran out and caused havoc in the centre. Nappa and Vegeta attempted to stop them but soon every fighter in the centre was being swarmed by the creatures. All Raditz could do was hide and hope the elites would take care of it.

_'SHIT! How was I supposed to know that my ki would make them grow!?'_

He had caused this mess so he had to find a way to end it!

Running into the store room, which was now mostly destroyed, once more, he frantically searched for a way to stop the creatures. There was a note, hidden beneath some rubble about them. Raditz couldn't read the universal language very well. Even when he spoke it, he retained a slight Saiyan accent and didn't know complex or uncommon words. His mother never allowed the surgery on his brain to make him automatically know it, Raditz was always unsure why.

The note mentioned something about an emergency button…how it would cause a chemical to be released in the centre that would kill the Saibamen. Raditz needed to find that button quickly; he saw that the other two Saiyans were in trouble, they were heavily outnumbered.

He tossed pieces of debris from out of the way, making sure to leave no stone unturned. Finally, it came into view.

A huge sigh of relief came from him as he pressed the small red button. The vents sprayed a pungent mist into the air. The cacophony of Saibamen agonisingly dying, following the release of the spray was pleasant to all in the building.

As Raditz congratulated himself for solving the problem he caused..he noticed something.

There was a camera in the corner of the room.

Of course! How could be have been so ignorant and foolish?! Any room with high level technology tended to be monitored, why hadn't the thought crossed his mind?!

Fear settled in.

What would the consequences be?!

He sharply destroyed the camera, as if it would save him from his fate. The footage would still have been saved, someone was bound to catch him. Maybe if he fled quickly, he would not be found?

Raditz hurriedly found his comrades. They didn't require healing tanks, luckily.

"Hey, let's go home so you guys can get patched up! What a disaster, am I right?!" He nervously laughed and led the way out. Nappa reached forward and grabbed the long-haired boy by the shoulder, preventing him from moving.

"We ain't leaving yet! We'll get patched up here, and you can fight against me!"

"N-no! You can't do that!"

"Oh yeah?! Why not?!"

"Um…uh..t-the staff said they're closing because of what happened! Someone broke into the storage room and broke it all! We can come back tomorrow, its fine!"

Vegeta pushed a dead Saibamen off of him and stood up. "You're acting rather skittish. If I didn't know any better…you had something to do with the incident..and are aiming to leave so you aren't caught."

"What?! That's crazy!" Raditz denied. He looked away from his Prince.

Vegeta walked up to one of the workers and asked audibly, "Why don't you guys check the camera footage to find the culprit?" He glanced over at Raditz and grinned evilly.

_'My life is over.'_

Raditz was caught easily. After he had received an earful from Nappa, the authorities were called by the workers.

"Do we really need to get them involved? Boys will be boys!" Well, at least Nappa was trying to stop him from being punished. Raditz stared daggers at Vegeta. His own kind exposed him! It..actually hadn't been the first time. In school, he tended to get involved in dares or pranks, and more often or not, some snobby middle or elite child, who usually was the one inspiring Raditz's misdeeds, would tell the teachers.

"Snitches get stitches" did not work in this circumstance, nor did it work in the past.

Large men, wearing protective armour that beared the PTO trademark, grabbed Raditz by the arms and lifted him, taking him away, forcefully. Nappa stood infront of them, again trying to argue on Raditz's behalf. The men continued taking him away and informed his guardian that they would not be allowed to follow.

"Let me go!" He kicked them and struggled, but it was as if they were made out of some unbreakable stone. He could not free himself from their grasp.

Raditz was chained and thrown into the back of a vehicle. Although he was quite distraught, he couldn't help thinking it was quite like a TV show or a movie. It was fun playing the villain sometimes.

"Where are you taking me?!" He yelled, demanding to know.

"Shut it kid, or we'll have to zap ya!" The officer in the vehicle with him pointed a large stick with sparks of electricity shooting from the end.

His tail frizzed up on sight of it, it reminded him of the sticks in his own school, though they hardly used it. The usual punishment in his school was to have slits cut into your tail: a more traditional consequence. The slits in Raditz's tail could still be seen.

Soon they wound up at a marvellous palace.

_'This doesn't look like prison.. Why would they take me here?'_

Then he remembered. This was Frieza's palace.

The emperor, who he had met only a day prior, would kill him! He felt that awful sensation again..so much dread that he felt physically ill.

They dragged him out of the vehicle, and the gates opened. All Raditz could do now, was pray.

"Lord Zarbon! We have the criminal here!"

Footsteps echoed through the main hall of the elegant building, as a feminine, yet powerful being descended from the staircase.

"Gentlemen," His tone containing no element of anger, "Please unhand this boy! He is my guest, and I would never treat my guests with such an abhorrent display of brutishness!" The officers looked at each other in confusion.

"That is an order, gentlemen! Let go of this child and leave us..I intend to have tea and a private conversation with my guest!"

Realising that their superior was being serious, the men left. Raditz was the most bamboozled of all.

Where was the beating? Where was the screaming? Unless..Lord Zarbon was trying to trick him, yes, he had to be leading him into a false sense of security, then would deliver his wrath!

Zarbon stepped close to the boy, squinting down at him for a moment, that was uncomfortably long for Raditz.

"Come now boy, Lord Frieza is away, you needn't be afraid!" He sauntered off, most likely in the direction of the dining hall, Raditz assumed. His instincts sensed danger..but his nose sensed scrumptious food, and as Saiyans usually were..he was hungry. He followed the man, who had a spring in his step, seemingly unbothered by the child's actions.

They entered an extravagant dining room. On the table lay a spread of delicacies, some of which Raditz had never seen before! An array of pastries, cakes, meats and sauces, with various drinks, caused Raditz to drool. It was how he imagined royalty ate daily, he always dreamt of this kind of life, for him and his family.

"You seem hungry, child. Please, sit down and commence." The teal-skinned alien pulled a chair out for him. Raditz wasted no time in consuming everything, tasting each different thing on offer, rapidly piling up empty plate, over empty plate.

"You Saiyans..certainly have huge appetite!"

Raditz paused from eating, almost breathless, "Yeah! If my parents were here..this food would be gone in a few minutes, and we would still want seconds!"

Raditz finished the luxurious meal and unwrapped his tail from around his waist, so he could be more comfortable.

He burped and his face went red. "S-sorry! I've forgotten my manners again," he chuckled nervously.

"Thank you graciously for the meal, Lord Zarbon..but may I ask why you have done this?"

Zarbon sat down in front of him, the cheery persona swiftly switching into seriousness.

"Now, boy, I am aware of your little stunt today."

Raditz went pale. _'And here comes my reckoning..' _He braced himself for the pain.

"I must say, I am rather impressed by what you've managed..though I doubt Lord Frieza will be so joyous."

"W-what will happen to me?" He trembled.

"Well, once Lord Frieza returns..if he is generous..perhaps only a week or two in solitary confinement. Trust me, boy, it's best I don't tell you what happens to people who end up in there."

"And..if..if..he is in a bad mood?"

"Let's just say..you'll be with the rest of your kind."

Raditz gulped.

"However, I am going to make you a proposition. You've proved that your intelligence is far superior to that of most Saiyans."

A proposition? A final chance to live, Raditz supposed.

"Please tell me, sir."

"You are aware of the fact that your Prince is Lord Frieza's personal project, correct?" Raditz nodded even though he didn't really know that.

"I see potential in you, boy. The same way Lord Frieza does in Vegeta. You will be MY personal project. I intend to teach you, to train you..take you under my wing as they say. Of course, I promise you protection..it must be hard for you..being the last low class of your race. People won't like you. I hate to tell you this..but I'd be surprised if you last a year here."

Raditz sat in silence. He wished this was just some horrendous dream. He wished his mother could wake him up, that he could tell her all about his crazy dream and she could laugh, telling him it's nothing.

But this was real. It sounded like a great opportunity, especially to an opportunist, such as himself, but there was something in his gut, saying that he shouldn't make this deal.

"Sorry, Lord Zarbon..I must decline. Thank you for such a kind offer..um..I really should go." He felt very uncomfortable, looking at the man, who was clearly offended by the rejection.

"You little…" Zarbon sighed heavily and calmed himself. "What is your name again?"

"Raditz.."

"Raditz..you don't seem to be understanding me. I want to protect you. You like all this luscious food, right? And you want to be strong, don't you? I do not make offers like this everyday, child..and in your position...I would be thinking carefully. Wouldn't it be such a shame if Lord Frieza had to kill you, when you have so much more to give to this empire?"

He could not refuse. Even if he wanted to.

"Ok..I will accept.."

"Good boy, I knew you'd make the right choice. Also, call me Master Zarbon from now, understand? Oh, and don't look so afraid of me, I won't bite!" The regal alien returned to his cheery ways and ruffled the boy's hair, the same way Lord Frieza did.

How could Raditz not be frightened? Behind that dazzling smile, Raditz could sense that his new master was not all that he seemed to be.

Zarbon showed him to the door and provided him with a card that would allow him to get tram rides for free and would let him into Zarbon's home, which was close to Frieza's.

"Are you sure about giving me this, Master Zarbon?"

"Oh yes, don't worry. I trust you, Raditz. I know that a boy like you is clever enough to be careful with important things..I have a feeling that within a few months, under my tutelage you'll be much, much stronger and able to take on those Saibamen!"

At the station, Raditz didn't even consider what he would say to his comrades, or what they would do to him. When the thought finally came into his head, while he was on the tram home, he decided he would take a detour, to the beach he spotted last night so that he could figure out what to do next and try to forget about what happened earlier.

(WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO RADITZ? FIND OUT NEXT TIME ON...ok the title is too long cba)


	5. Just Like His Father

**(Disclaimer: I do not own DB or any characters, imagine how much of a train wreck it would be if i called the shots!)****(ew tf are you still here? tf am i still writing this?)****(anyway...LAST TIME ON..this story with a long name, RADITZ WAS GETTING NONCED BY ZARBON..UM HE FUCKED UP AND YEAH..have fun kids. ew im so immature i hate myself. uwu)**

The waves crashed on the shore, pulling in seaweed, small molluscs and crustaceans, and pushing them back out onto the shore. The coast was easy to get to. It lay just beyond the outskirts of the city and despite it being so close to civillisation, it seemed untouched by people; forgotten by society.

_'It's perfect!'_

Raditz jumped down from a grassy hill and landed on a large rock that was brushed gently by the sea foam. He took in his surroundings, comparing his observations to the coast of Planet Vegeta. The sand, for a start, was a pale peach colour, compared to the rusted reds and oranges of his home. The water too, was different. It had strong lilac undertones unlike the turquoise waters of Planet Vegeta, but it sparkled in the sunlight all the same.

He spotted a cliff overlooking the beach and a cave within it. Of course, his curiosity led him to go inside of it. The cave itself, was empty and of a decent size.

_'I can use it as my own personal storage, yes, my own little hiding spot!'_ It would make a decent escape from the rest of the loud, troublesome world.

When he stood on the edge of the cliff he felt elated.

Like he was on top of the world. It was like that on his home planet. Once, when he was younger, his mother took him out to the coast because he was upset about how powerless he was in school and in general, quite useless.

_"Stand up here. Just..breathe and take it all in."_ They were up on a cliff, just like the one he was on now.

_"Shout something. Anything, Raditz."__"Why? No one will hear, it's stupid!"__"That's exactly the point. You are on top of the world here! You can do anything!"__"Ok..um..what should I say?"__"Deny what people say about you. Get rid of those negative thoughts, they'll only weigh you down."__"HEY WORLD! I AM NOT A WEAK, COWARDLY LOSER!" _His mother laughed and told him to say something else.

_"AND I'M NOT JUST A 'SMARTASS KID'!" _To his surprise, he did feel better. From that day onwards, he would come back to the beach and yell something when he was angry or sad.

He inhaled and tried it again in his new place to escape to.

"HEY WORLD! I'M GONNA MAKE IT OUT HERE, GOT IT!? I'LL PROVE I'M GOOD ENOUGH AND I'LL NEVER GIVE UP!!"

But could he really believe his own words?

It wasn't important now, he had to decide how to tell his comrades about his new master.

_'I wonder if they'll even care! They probably think I'm dead or something!' _

He pondered if he would receive chastisement or punishment from them. He couldn't deny it, he was anxious, but there was no way out of it. He had to tell them, he couldn't stay out here on the coast!

_'Ugh, what am I even scared of?!' _

Raditz had summoned up some determination and bravery, so he made his way back home, navigating himself back through the busy streets, going past the gloomy alleyways and shady businesspeople and finally coming back to the housing unit.

"Hello Raditz, it's lovely to see you again! Your friends are home, I think they've been waiting for you."

Raditz wanted to ask how she knew he was at the door before he had even knocked or rang the bell and to correct her on how she called Nappa and Vegeta his '_friends_', but the only thing that he could get out of his mouth at the time was a "Thank you."

The lift was still broken, meaning Raditz's heartbeat grew faster during the suspenseful ascent up the staircases. As he was about to knock, the door flung open, hitting him.

"Oww!" He rubbed his arm and hoped to be left without a bruise.

"Didn't think you'd come back here so intact, but it seems you're quite the surprising type."

"What do you mean, Nappa?"

Vegeta as usual got his say in, "What he means, low-class, is that we expected you to be in a healing tank right now, because of your disgraceful, prideless actions!" The Prince turned away from him in disgust. Raditz came in the room whilst looking down in shame.

"So, what did happen? You pulled another trick?!" Vegeta asked, adding another remark to make his subordinate feel guiltier.

Raditz was hesitant to say anything, but the piercing glare from both Saiyans was enough to make him start talking.

"I was taken to see Lord Zarbon, since Lord Frieza is away. He said..he was impressed..he threw me a huge feast instead of punishing me!"

"What?!" Vegeta exclaimed, "If that was me.."

"Yeah! I couldn't believe it either! Next was the most shocking part.."

His comrades leaned closer.

"He wants me to be his student!"

"Absolutely not!" Nappa protested against the idea without hearing him out.

"Just listen to me! He wants to make me stronger, so I can catch up to the both of you!"

"Oh, please! Kid you know full well my training is better, I'll give you proper traditional Saiyan training sessions!"

"Well..I already agreed..and also, Master Zarbon can protect me better, and keep me out of trouble..and stop me from bothering you."

"Why would you already agree without a discussion with me?!"

Raditz thought for a moment. He felt trapped in that room with Zarbon. He was so much smaller than him and everything else around..he had to agree.

"I..don't know..he just had so much power over me! I had to say yes! It doesn't matter who trains me..what matters is I improve!"

"Fine, kid. You have fun with that pompous freaky alien genotype..but don't come running to me when it all goes wrong."

_'When it all goes wrong? What does he mean by that?!'_

Raditz slumped into the worn sofa and put the TV on so he didn't have to talk to them anymore. Nappa went to check his tablet for missions and Vegeta reluctantly sat on the sofa, as far away from Raditz as he possibly could. The Prince snatched the remote away from Raditz, who was trying to locate a channel with cartoons.

"Hey!" Raditz was fuming. Vegeta was the one who got him into today's mess, and now he was preventing him from watching TV?!

"Give it back! I wanna watch my shows!"

"A spineless, lying low-class like **you** doesn't deserve such privileges!"

Raditz knew he would not get the remote back and opted not to challenge his Prince, but to remain silent.

Vegeta put on the Main Channel which mostly showed propaganda at this time or the list of planets that have been destroyed or taken over on that day.

The lifeless reporter began to speak of the PTO's work:

"And just an hour ago, Planet Jaleb has become Frieza Planet Number 282 and Planet Malrasi has been destroyed by a meteor. We send our condolences to any remaining Malrasians."

_'I guess it's nice to know we Saiyans aren't the only ones..'_

Raditz questioned if the news reporter had been the same over his home, not so long ago. He got lost in his own thoughts again, thinking about these other planets, most of which he had never even heard of, and was slightly startled by Nappa alerting him that they had to leave for Pod Station 7 immediately.

"Why on such short notice?" Vegeta demanded an answer. "A squad cancelled, so we're being sent instead. We'll get more details from the briefing officer, once we get to the station, Prince."

And so, once again, Raditz's moment of freedom and relaxation had been cut short.

He had been on real missions with his father, but most missions were too tough for the boy to handle, and much to his disappointment, was told to handle small areas and keep guard, which could be tedious.

He had never actually killed many people..

_'Oh Gods! What if they think I'm a reject like my mother?!' _

This time, he promised himself he would get in on the action, to show he was strong and brave enough, just like his father.

The tram ride was short, or at least felt it. Raditz played with his tail, aiming to hide his nerves.

This was real. A real mission, not just practice with his father.

They walked past the Mess Hall, even though they were all rather hungry. There was no time to waste. Punctuality was of high importance in the PTO. Lateness could lead to severe consequences.

The briefing officer took a long, audible sip of coffee.

"Saiyans, huh?" The officer's foul breath could be smelt even metres away, "Didn't think there were any left. No matter. You're going to Planet Mithai, which will be Frieza Planet 287. We need you to obviously, purge the planet of all inhabitants, but please aim to leave the natural wildlife. Other buildings may be destroyed and anything that seems of value shall be brought back for the empire. If you're lucky, and able to complete this mission well and quickly, you'll receive some of the treasure you find."

"How long do we have?" Vegeta inquired.

"Lord Frieza expects you to be back in under 20 days. The journey will take 3 days there and back, since it is rather close, leaving you 2 weeks to carry out your mission."

Raditz zoned out and glanced at the Space Pods. These models were newer, he could tell. This station was far more high-tech than the ones on Planet Vegeta.

Nappa nudged the young Saiyan forward, signalling him to move, after the officer ceased his endless talking, as he walked towards a pod. Before the Saiyans could open the hatches of their pods the officer prevented them, "WAIT I JUST FORGOT!"

Vegeta sighed, "Oh, what now?!"

"These pods are new prototypes..we have had..some issues with them."

"So?" Vegeta opened the hatch, ignoring his warning.

"I've been told to tell all soldiers about protocol before they depart."

"Protocol?!" Nappa roared with laughter. "Oh come on, I've been doing this for years, it's easy to handle these pods, a bit of new-fangled machinery won't stop us! Come on, boys!"

They all got in before the officer could finish lecturing them. The man eventually gave up went back to his coffee as the pods prepared for launch.

The feel within the pod was familiar. Raditz recalled his first time in one, how he felt like a real warrior, just like his father, the excitement building up, as well as his heart rate, only to be cut short by the induced stasis sleep.

A gentle, female robot voice from the speaker gave him a quicker brief and told him to brace for launch. Launching wasn't too bad. It was landing that tended to make his stomach do backflips. He strapped himself in, relaxed his body as much as his mind would allow and prayed he'd survive, just like his mother always told him to. _'You never know, Raditz. The universe works in mysterious ways.'_ She would say.

There was nothing after the countdown. The gas rendered him unconscious.

"Mama?" He opened his eyes to find himself no longer in that cramped pod, but in his own bed, comfortable and familiar.

"Well who else would it be?" She opened the curtains.

"What?! How?" He said in puzzlement.

"..are you feeling ok? You seemed to be restless in your sleep.."

"I had an awful dream that our planet was destroyed a-and you were dead and I had to stay with the Prince and General Nappa!"

"Sounds like quite the dream..but it's ok now. You're safe here with me."

Relief washed over Raditz like one of the waves on the beach. Everything was fine again. He sniffed the air to be pleasantly surprised with the scrumptious scent of breakfast. He dashed downstairs to the dinner table and devoured his mother's cooking that was perfect as always.

He let out a burp once he had finished and his mother scolded him. "Oh, you are just like your father Raditz!" She chuckled afterwards.

The world made sense again.

Until he awoke to the robot voice.

"Malfunction! Malfunction!" Raditz snapped back into the crushing reality but he had no time to despair about how his own mind had tricked him, he needed to stop whatever was going wrong before he was killed!

An array of buttons and technology lay in front of him. He had no idea what anything did. _'Shit! We should have listened to the officer!'_

He began to panic, the frequent warning beeps ringing loudly in his ears, tail frizzing up, chest tight, breaths short and fast, knees held against his body, shutting his eyes tight, trying to run away like always-

just waiting to embrace death.

"Raditz, do you copy?!" Nappa's voice cut through the rest of the noise. "You need to press the red button on your right and then brace for an emergency landing on the nearest planet, which it should automatically go to!"

Raditz found the button and the robot voice announced, "Please brace for emergency landing on F-167!"

He could feel the heat from the front of his pod as it entered the atmosphere. The descent was steep and rough, but eventually he hit the ground, leaving a large crater. He hated getting out. The rest of his body protested but he willed himself to leave. He found his footing and located his comrades, who all had issues with their transportation.

"What kind of lousy piece of junk did they give me?! What a fine way to treat an elite prince!" Vegeta kicked his pod, causing a dent. "Ugh..it even dents easily!"

"Um where are we?" Raditz asked once Vegeta calmed down, due to Nappa's reassurance.

"Frieza Planet 167, also known as Planet Pereffi." Nappa answered. The name felt familiar to Raditz.

"We had trade deals with them since they were so close to Planet Vegeta." Now it made sense where he heard it.

"The Pereffians are bound to help us then!" Raditz's wishful thinking had given him the idea.

"And why would they do that?"

"Because they were good trading partners with our people..and they work for the PTO so..I'm pretty sure by law..they have to repair or give us new pods!"

"But they aren't warriors!"

Vegeta decided to join the situation, as always, "Yes, but their people tend to travel using pods because they search for useful planets and clean up after purges. We shall make our way into the capital and simply demand a new pod after telling them about our circumstances."

The Prince of Saiyans seemed confident in his plans and began to fly for the city. His subordinates rapidly caught up.

The heat of the Planet was very similar to Planet Vegeta, as it shared the same two suns, but apart from that, Planet Pereffi was rather different to home. The ground a pastel blue and the sky a dark pink. The people were smaller than the Saiyans and weaker, but very loyal.

In the far north, there was a strong PTO influence. More technology, training centres and, luckily for the Saiyans, pod stations, with various models. The Pereffians were shocked to see them.

One officer gleefully welcomed them, "It's lovely to see you, neighbours!" He switched into a more sombre, caring tone once he remembered the destruction of his '_neighbours_' home planet. "Oh..that's right. I'm sorry for your loss. What brings you here, Saiyans?"

Vegeta stepped forward, "These new pod prototypes keep resulting in failures, we had to crash land here. We will require new pods, immediately."

The officer had gone to set everything up for them, but before the process was complete, two royal guards showed up.

"Our King would like to see you, all of you, we shall escort you to the palace!"

Raditz stepped back, these guards did seem quite strong, were the Saiyans in trouble.

"Let's go." Vegeta began to follow them.

_'If the Prince trusts them, then I should too.'_

The Palace had many flags on its tall spires, including a Frieza Force flag. They sailed proudly in the summer breeze. The guards took them to the throne room. Large stained glass windows, poured colourful sunlight into the room, the image reflecting on the blue carpet.

The King's voice echoed into the room, "Ah, the Saiyans. It's such a shame about what happened..I offer my deepest condolences, and I pray for all their souls. Prince Vegeta, you would have made a wonderful ruler. When I heard you were here I felt like I needed to give you something for your services."

A young girl walked in wearing a light silk dress with some form of a tiara, the princess, Raditz supposed. She came up to the Prince, holding a box.

"Here. Its Pereffian gold. Its very valuable..to show our gratitude."

Vegeta opened the box and gently held the gold. Raditz could see how it twinkled. _'Imagine all the food we could buy with that!'_ His mouth watered slightly imagining all of that rich food.

Vegeta put the gold back in the box and handed it back.

"Thank you kindly, but I cannot accept this gift..for my pride."

"I understand, Prince Vegeta. May the gods forever be with you all."

"Thank you King Kanub, and you Princess Liache." The Prince bowed to both royals. Raditz was confused at how respectful the Prince suddenly acted, so composed and calm. Nappa and Raditz bowed too. As the Saiyans turned to leave the King called out, "You are welcome to come here any time, and if you change your mind about the gold, it will be here."

Vegeta and the Saiyans bowed once more and left.

Raditz was completly bewildered. They had practically offered them hundreds of thousands of zeni, but Vegeta said no?!

"Prince Vegeta, we could have been rich!" Raditz had to say something. Just like his father.

"I don't need or want their pity! I can make my own money, only a prideless fool would take the easy way out like that! Oh wait..I just remembered..YOU ARE A PRIDELESS FOOL!" Vegeta made a start for Raditz but Nappa rushed in to stop him, calming the temperamental Prince down again.

They went back to the stations and left without a word, punching in the co-ordinates to Planet Mithai.

Back into cryo-sleep.

Raditz could have sworn he heard his mother again saying,

_"You'll be an amazing fighter someday, my darling…__Just like your father."_


	6. Sweet Things Are Bad Sometimes

**Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of its characters oki?**

(welcome to chapter six of my shitshow. youve come far, weary traveller..here..have a cookie for getting to this point :)

(**also big shout out to my new beta reader RoyalBlueRoses she's a qween and deserves some love cuz her stories are fantastic!)**

"You have landed on Planet Mithai. Please proceed with your mission." The voice blankly stated.

The hatch opened, releasing some steam, and out emerged Raditz, who was relieved at the fact that the gravity on this planet was comfortable, unlike the training centre. The climate was almost perfect, nothing that would interfere with his job. He was pretty excited, and wasted no time in scanning the area with the scouter on his ear.

"Hold your horses, boy!" Nappa tapped him on the shoulder, in a way that the general thought was gentle, but almost toppled the long-haired child over.

"First, I'd like to check your knowledge."

Raditz didn't think Nappa was the type to really care about "knowledge'. After all, he had disregarded that officer's warnings completely.

"Now, how do we judge, or rather how does the PTO judge, whether a planet is useful or not? I hope you know this, otherwise the school you were at was pretty useless."

Raditz hesitated and thought deeply. He had recalled learning this in school..although for most of that time he had been too busy doodling or passing notes between his friends. It wasn't his fault his class was so mind-numbing he lost focus!

"Uh..resources?"

"Yeah, and what else? Remember the 3 Ls!"

That sounded incredibly familiar..

But his mind went blank again.

"Land, Location and Locals, don't you know anything!?" Vegeta, obviously fed up of waiting, similarly to Raditz, gave him the answer.

"Prince Vegeta, I was testing Raditz! You know your mother taught you manners, use them!" Nappa scolded him.

"You tested him and he failed, now can we actually do what we are meant to!? We lost time on Pereffi!" Vegeta lent against his pod giving a harsh glare to his subordinates

"Just one moment, Prince, then we'll get straight to it!" The large man turned back to Raditz.

"The 3 Ls, as Vegeta told you, are indeed land, location and locals. Land refers to the fertility and spaces on the planet that can be used. What can you tell me about it on this planet, Raditz?"

Raditz ascended from the ground and used his scouter, scanning as far as the lens could see.

"Well..the land is fertile, the cities are clustered leaving a lot of empty spaces, mostly forests or mountainous areas." He felt pleased at how clever he sounded, a slight grin creeping up on his face.

"Good. Now, how can this be useful?" The smile faded as he thought pensively.

"Hmm…this planet could be used for..farming? And..it is an attractive place..maybe tourism?"

"Location. This planet is the right distance from a PTO main centre and far away from the Galactic Patrol. Can you take locals?" Nappa signalled for Raditz to make use of his scouter

"They aren't fighters, that's for sure. Too weak to be trained up but some could be slaves I guess." Raditz concluded, folding his arms confidently.

"Well done. We'll do more of this kinda analysis later." The general turned towards his Prince to discuss something as Raditz spaced out like always.

At last.

He could finally get to the real work. Raditz's mind was filled with all the possible exciting tasks he would carry out here: demolishing a whole city in one blast like father would, searching houses for survivors, hunting any who ran away in sheer terror?!

"Kid, I need you to stay and keep guard." Nappa's order made Raditz's heart sink. His disappointment rapidly turned into fury.

"What gives?! I'm meant to be a real soldier! How am I meant to learn anything if I'm stuck guarding pods and supplies?!" Raditz expected a blow from the burly Saiyan but was met with some pretty good reasoning,

"Some of them will run this way, and hide in the forest, won't they? You'll get your chance to fight, kid, but they'll overwhelm you in numbers like these! Just stay put. If you need us, you have your scouter." Nappa patted him on the head, patronizing him like many had done in the past.

It was hard to argue with that logic. Even though Raditz knew that he was right, he still wished to be given a more active role from Nappa. Once his comrades flew off into the distance, Raditz took the time to look around. Nothing much was interesting to him. Below him was a gorge with a river flowing freely and beyond that lay the cities. The boy turned round to tall, thin trees with branches that spead far. The leaves were orange and pink and some trees beared a kind of fruit that Raditz had not seen before. One branch hung low and close enough that he could pull the ripe fruit off by just standing on the tips of his toes. An explosion from the distance, followed by terrified screaming, caught Raditz off guard and he almost dropped the fruit.

He took a bite.

The taste was similar to a mango or a papaya, but incredibly sweet, sickly almost, like the types of sweets on Planet Vegeta. The juices of the fruit dripped down his chin and on to his armour, making it slightly sticky. Raditz ate the filling fruit down to its core and out of the corner of his eye saw a sign, which had the universal language on it as well as the Mithian one.

_'Gulab Forest, huh?'_ The sounds of obliteration around him told the boy his comrades were doing well.

_'A little exploration wouldn't hurt, right?' _

He sauntered into the forest and tried his best to keep track of where he started from, so he wouldn't be lost. Not that it would matter much anyway, he had his trusty scouter and the ability to fly.

Wandering through the forest, he noticed the ground was quite damp and the forest itself was nearly silent. He spotted very few animals or insects. _'Maybe they all ran away when we came?' _

The trees above him blocked out most of the sunlight, more so than the grey clouds, and he lost track of direction. _'Is this place..haunted or somethin'?!'_

He shook those thoughts out of his head and kept exploring. Soon, the screams and explosions faded away, taken over by the forest's slighly unnerving ambience.

"Oww!" He tripped over a stone when he wasn't paying attention to where he was going, leaving him with a grazed knee and dirty armour. Raditz imagined how his mother would scold him for not being careful, even though his mother was rather clumsy too. The boy used to come home covered in scrapes, bruises and dirt, and at first his mother would be quite angry but that would fade away as her concern took over and she would tend to his injuries.

He got back up and cleaned himself up a little. A small amount of his blood remained on the stone. Raditz went onwards, hoping to come out at the end of the forest. _'Maybe I'll find something really cool and useful! That'll show Vegeta and Nappa!' _He laughed devilishly, making plans in his head and hurried onwards.

Whilst he was walking, he looked down at his knee, which still hurt and bled slightly, and spotted on the floor, just ahead of him, a glittering gold necklace. Upon inspection, it had jewels embedded into it and parts that dangled. Raditz concluded that it was very expensive so kept it safe in his armour. _'Imagine all the sweets I could have after selling this! Mmh..I could have bathtubs full of sherbet~!'_

If only he hadn't been so distracted, he would have noticed the coming danger behind him.

A dark, scaly beast, with claws as large as Raditz's whole body, and a heavy tail that cut down trees with a single flick, came behind the boy, who shook in fear. The red, glowing eyes seemed to make Raditz freeze in his place. He tried to move his arm to reach his scouter but to no avail. His legs too, stiff and unwilling to move.

The beast roared and Raditz's tail spiked up.

_'Do something idiot! Don't just stand there, you'll die!'_ His mind screamed at him, yet he did nothing still.

The beast swiped his claws and Raditz was knocked into a tree. His vision went hazy and his heart thudded.

He was certain he was going to die.

As everything went blurry, some patches of his vision black, he could have sworn he saw a girl swooping in, firing arrows at the beast from behind.

Was he being saved?! He hoped so, even though it would be a knock to his already shattered pride. The beast cried out in anguish and everything faded to black.

A girl hummed a tune, within her treehouse, whilst applying medicine and bandages to Raditz's wounds.

Everything was still blurry when Raditz opened his eyes, he was disoriented and his heart pounded again.

When trying to get up again, the girl held him back and he was too weak to fight against her. The top part of his armour was removed, along with his scouter, meaning he was stuck with this girl until he could find the strength to move.

She applied a viscous substance to a bleeding gash on his arm and he winced.

"You're lucky to be alive, you know? Not many survive after an encounter with a Hokus. It's clear you aren't from around here. Sorry..I didn't tell you who I am.."

Raditz honestly did not care. He would kill this girl very soon anyway, but for the sake of politeness and gratitude allowed her to continue.

"I'm Princess Imarti. And you are?"

He was too caught up in thinking about her reaction when she knew his comrades were killing her people to react.

"Well?" She asked again, making him snap back to reality. "Oh! I'm Raditz."

"What brings you here, Raditz?"

He had a few options to pick from following that question: Lie to her, tell the truth, or kill her right there. He weighed all of them up in his head and figured it would be smarter to lie, in case she would try to kill him first.

"My ship crashed here while I was making my journey home." It sounded, to him, pretty convincing.

"But..you're a Saiyan, don't you know..your home?" Her golden eyes were full of so much sympathy, most Saiyans would vomit. The Princess told Raditz about the destruction of his home and he played along, feigning shock.

"Thank you for finding my necklace..I thought I lost it for sure!" She blurted out after a long silence.

_'At least she's polite..unlike another royal I know..'_

"Uh, no problem.."

While she continued to fix him up, he thought of how he would kill her. She didn't deserve a painful death since she had helped him, no, he would make it swift while her back is turned.

Raditz wasn't sure he could take seeing those eyes when they were filled with betrayal.

She pasted that thick substance on another wound and he was reminded of that fruit because of the colour and fragrance. He moved his arm, where she applied it before and felt very little pain. It was no longer bleeding either.

"What is that stuff?!" Raditz was left in awe.

"Oh that? It's pulp from the Gulab fruit. We use it a lot here. It makes it better, doesn't it?"

He had never seen such a thing from something as ordinary as fruit._ 'Maybe that's why they sent us here and told us to leave the natural stuff!'_

"Yeah..the fruit was super tasty too!"

"Wait..you ate it?" She raised her eyebrows and looked unexpectedly concerned.

"It looked like a super yummy fruit, why wouldn't I taste it?" Raditz sat up.

"Quick! Take this!" She held a bottle of purple medicine and poured some into a spoon, spilling some. Her panic caused Raditz to follow her command.

He spluttered, "Ew! It's bitter!" The taste lingered on his tongue just like the fruit did.

"Isn't it funny..how sweet things tend to be bad for you..but bitter..bad tasting things are often good for you?" Princess Imarti put the bottle away.

Raditz lay down, feeling quite light headed now.

_'I probably moved too fast..' _He coughed, catching the princess' attention.

"Oh, what's wrong? Your lying, destructive ways, finally caught up with you, saiyan!?"

"W-what?" His eyes widened.

"Hmm..that '**medicine'** should kick in..any second now.." As she inspected the bottle, Raditz saw that it was in fact, a very strong sleep serum, and began to feel incredibly drowsy. He attempted to muster up some kind of sentence, "w-what..you..gon..na..do..?"

And once again, his vision faded to black.

This time he woke in a dark, damp room, laying on what seemed to be an old wooden table. It took him a minute or two to piece together what had happened but he wished he didn't recall it. _'How can I be so gullible?! I'm such an idiot!'_

His moment of self-loathing was interrupted by a harsh slap across the face.

"OW! What the fuck was that for?!"

Princess Imarti growled and slapped him again, "Shouldn't you know, Saiyan?! You and your friends are slaughtering my people!" Even though the room had only a single candle for lighting, Raditz could clearly see her once compassionate eyes now burning with fury and hatred, like a roaring fire in a forest.

He tried to move to attack her, but was restrained by chains that he was too weak to break.

She turned her back and climbed the creaking wooden steps, taking the light of the candle along with her.

"Don't even think of escaping..as if you could ever escape the palace dungeons as powerless as you are."

Raditz couldn't think of anything to say, he just tried to wriggle out of the chains.

She chuckled, "Honestly. You should just accept your fate and feel grateful to be our sacrifice.."

The door slammed and the sound of her jewel-encrusted sandals faded away.

Raditz's mind was sent spinning, as it usually did in such situations. There was no way he was going to allow himself to be sacrificed. He needed to be clever about his escape.

His armour was taken off, leaving just his spandex and his scouter gone with it.

He tried to create ki in his hand to blast the walls or the ceiling but couldn't create enough to form his attack. Then, attempted to move all his limbs at once, to no avail.

It all felt hopeless..he couldn't do anything. It was very un-saiyanlike to give up but what more could he do?

It wasn't like his life mattered. He deserved death, he thought.

His eyes prickled and watered. The feeling of determination and wanting to live, destroyed by a feeling Raditz couldn't name.

Tears fell and rolled off of his face onto the table; he no longer cared.

The door opened after a while.

The Princess came down the stairs, with the same candle. "I didn't think Saiyans cried." She added to his despair.

"I'm not..crying.."

"Do you ever stop lying?"

His father had said that before. Multiple times actually.

"Let me live, please! I-I'll leave! I'll never come back! I'm sorry!" He pleaded.

_"You always get so desperate, don't you? Can't take death honorably?!"_ He heard his father in his mind, and hung his head.

Princess Imarti sighed.

"Why should I believe you?"

She had a point. And he was lying again.

"Because..I am not like those other Saiyans! I haven't hurt your people..in truth..I don't really like to kill people. I do it to survive! Also..what is this sacrifice for?!"

"To summon the spirits of our gods, so they can kill you and your friends and save our people!"

A guard came up to the door, "Princess Imarti, we found another sacrifice! This one is stronger too!"

In his hands held the unconscious Prince of Saiyans.

_'What?! How did they get Vegeta?!'_

"There was some other oaf too, he's fighting against your father and his forces!"

_'He must mean Nappa..' _

The Princess examined the prince and used Raditz's scouter. "We only need the one, right?!"

"Yes my princess, now we must hurry before that beast defeats our defences!" He dropped Vegeta onto the floor.

She signalled for the guard to leave.

"Why don't you do an honorable thing for once in your life and take your prince's place!?"

Princess Imarti gathered various materials. It reminded Raditz of witches and how they made spells, but this was no time for his fantasies! He couldn't let his Prince be killed..but he wasn't in the mood to be sacrificed to the gods of these creatures.

"Have you made a decision?!" She flicked through a book, scanning its dusty pages.

"I'll be your sacrifice.."

"Very well."

He took a deep breath as she unchained him and returned his armour

_'I hope this works..'_

He stood in the centre of a circle with ancient markings drawn around it by the Princess. She lit 6 candles around him and sprinkled what seemed to be ashes on him, making him cough.

She finally turned around to look for something she had placed on the filthy stone floor.

_'Now's my chance!' _

He threw those ashes at her as she turned back around, blinding her, and sent blasts her way, knocking her to the ground.

He grabbed Vegeta and ran out of the dungeon before she could get up. Raditz slammed the steel door behind him, locking it. Outside, a battle ensued and Nappa was being overpowered.

He noticed that it had become dark outside.

_'Shit, how long was I asleep?!'_

Using his scouter he found the moon's location.

_'I can't go Oozaru now! I'll crush Vegeta!'_

He needed a way to wake him. The Princess banged on the door and Raditz legged it as far as he could with Vegeta on his shoulder.

Princess Imarti hurried after them but they had hidden within the kitchens, whilst she went past, a trail of blue blood from her head following her.

Raditz knew Vegeta would be angry but he had to pour water on him, there wasn't anything else he could think of.

"WHY YOU-" Vegeta made a start for Raditz when he woke but sensed what was happening from the battle explosions and his scouter.

"Can you control your Oozaru form?!" The Prince barked, failing to remember that Raditz had protected him. Raditz shook his head and Vegeta tsked but still told him to look at the moon but further away from the battle.

The boy escaped from the Palace gardens, rushing off into the night as the Prince transformed. He watched him for a second, marvelled at how controlled his movements were. Nappa had transformed too, and the tables began to turn.

Raditz hated using the Oozaru form, since he never remembered anything afterwards but only felt exhausted, but knew he would not survive without it.

He tilted his head up to the night sky.

All he could see was a red colour, like blood. His tail twitched, yet the rest of his body remained still.

He roared, feeling nothing but anger and bloodlust, thinking of nothing but destruction.


	7. Aftermath

**Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of its characters****(oh goodness we've made it to chapter 7 which is a lucky number!****huge thanks to my beta reader RoyalBlueRoses!!)****(also would appreciate any comments!)**

* * *

The water flowing from the stream that was now polluted with debris and bloated corpses, splashed Raditz's tail, waking him up.

His memory as usual was foggy. It was hard to say how long the night had been and for how many hours he had been passed out. From his mouth, blue blood trailed out from the corners. The bitter taste was left on his tongue from his rampage.

_'Ew! Did I really eat some of 'em?!'_

Raditz wiped his mouth and looked around him, the only pleasant thing surrounding the young boy being the sunrise.

Moving away from the stream, he picked up his scouter. To his surprise it was functioning normally, despite the cracks on the glass. He pressed the button, aiming to reach out to one of his comrades. First he used Nappa's communication line, since he was less likely to get screamed at for causing a mess and was unsure of the former general's whereabouts and condition.

"This is Cadet Raditz, please respond, sir!" He smiled, proud of himself for remembering to be formal and waited for a reply.

Static filled his ear.

He tried again.

Nothing.

Changing the line, he took a deep breath contacted his prince.

"This is Cadet Raditz-"

"Yes, I know who you are, clown! Where are you?!"

Raditz looked around again. Turning behind him and gazing upwards, he could see the pods, which were luckily intact.

"Uh...just below where we came from, Prince."

"All the way over there?! Oh, this is ridiculous!" The Prince of Saiyans fumed, his loud complaints hurt Raditz's ears, and so he moved his scouter away from the side of his head, ever so slightly, and avoided hearing some rather colourful language that he did not expect from royalty.

Once his prince had paused to catch his breath, Raditz asked, "..what's wrong, sir?"

He braced for some sort of insult.

"What's wrong, you say?! Oh, I don't know, maybe it's something to do with the fact that YOU'RE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PLANET, NAPPA IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND AND SOMEHOW, SOME OF THESE FUCKERS ARE STILL ALIVE!!"

The Prince shouted, almost bursting poor Raditz's eardrum.

"Oh and guess what?" Raditz was relieved he had stopped yelling, but knew there was more to come.

"YOU TRAMPLED ALL OVER NATURAL LAND, THAT WE WEREN'T MEANT TO TOUCH!!"

Raditz had forgotten about the part when he went away from the city to transform.

"..sorry.." His voice was small and trembling. He felt like a mouse cornered by a large cat.

Vegeta sighed audibly over the scouter.

"Look, I'll deal with this later! You scout your side of the planet and try to find Nappa, I'll do the same! Report to me if you find anything useful or need any help..not that you deserve it."

With that, the line was disconnected.

Raditz was never the best with directions or locating, even with his scouter, but he had to try his best.

_'Finding Nappa will probably lessen my punishment..and at least I know where I started from.'_

Trying to put a positive spin on things, like his parents taught him to, he set off, zooming over Gulab Forest.

The sunlight nearly blinded him as he went on his way. He found it ironic in a sense, how it made everything seem incredibly bright even though the situation facing the Mithians and their planet was dire. He didn't feel much guilt though, remembering what he had been taught repeatedly in school:

**The weak deserve death for their sins.**

He never really understood why being weak was a sin; especially when people were born that way.

A thought came into his head that was already crowded with thoughts:

'Did Princess Imarti **deserve** death?'

Indeed, she was not weak.

Nor were the people fighting against Nappa. He concluded that they didn't really deserve to die, no, they could have been quite useful to the Frieza Force, he just had to kill them to survive.

That was justified, wasn't it?

As he continued to fly, he kept debating things in his head, even though they didn't really matter.

Raditz had nearly forgotten what he was meant to be doing!

He stopped in his tracks and used his scouter.

PIPIPIP!

That was a scarily high number..well..compared to his own anyway..

_'Now, that's either Nappa...or a survivor. Or, possibly one of those freaky monsters that attacked me!'_

He prayed it was Nappa and landed nearby its location, the beeping on his scouter growing louder; indicating his close proximity to whatever it was he had found.

Raditz got into a firm battle stance. The thick jungle around him was silent, the stench of death from the day before still hanging heavily in the humid air.

"That isn't a way to greet your elders, did no one teach you!?"

Nappa hobbled over and lectured him as if his leg was not badly injured.

"Nappa! What happened?!" He was concerned about his comrade more than his manners.

"Oh this?" The large Saiyajin looked down at his bleeding limb, like it was nothing. "I was looking for some breakfast, when some big ass monster attacked me!"

Raditz's jaw dropped. It had to be the same kind of creature like he'd encountered yesterday.

"Did you kill it?!"

Nappa laughed, "Of course I did! Made sure it was painful for what that bastard did to me!"

Raditz inhaled, relieved and smelt smoke. Looking past the General, he saw a fire, with a gargantuan piece of meat roasting on a stick above it.

"Is that...?" Raditz pointed as Nappa turned to his meal, that was nearly done cooking.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I thought it would make a good meal." The injured man limped over to the meat and tore off a leg. He sunk his partly rotten teeth into its thick flesh.

"Want some?" Nappa spoke while chewing the meat. The stench was not very pleasant, but Raditz could not tell if it was the meat or not.

"No, thank you, sir.."

Nappa ripped off a large chunk, "Suit yourself."

Raditz was unsure of what to do now. Although it was good that Nappa was alive and in a relatively safe place, he still had large wounds. The Saiyan was in no condition to fight, hell, he could hardly walk normally, but Vegeta would lose it again if he knew.

Prince Vegeta was a spoilt little brat, he was not about to come over here with supplies to help his comrade, Raditz decided.

There was no way he could carry out the rest of his mission safely alone. He too, had some injuries from last night and was unsure of how many people were still living and their strength.

Not to mention, those horrible beasts.

"Sir, I think I have an idea!"

Nappa kept eating but suggested for him to carry on with his hand.

"The planet has a special fruit in the forest near where we landed. It helped to heal my wounds before."

Raditz checked the parts of his body where that mixture was applied. They were still there under the bandages, but he could move his limbs with little discomfort, and already it was healing.

Raditz continued, "If I can find some more of 'em, I could get you fixed up!"

He beamed, feeling like he was being useful for once, unlike what his father called him often:

**_'A pathetic excuse for a Saiyan, just a useless, smartass brat.'_**

He did not always say the same sentence, but it was normally somewhere along the lines of his favored insults and criticism.

Raditz found that when Nappa praised his good idea that those insults in the back of his head disappeared.

Nappa warned him to be alert and very careful, well from what Raditz could make out anyway, the burly Saiyan was still gnawing away at his former attacker.

Raditz set off, following the castle spires back to where he started, his mood better than before and now filled with determination to help.

He knew he would show them what he could do, and now was his opportunity.

* * *

"AAGH!"

A scream came from the forest as a burning tree fell, causing more cries for help and then..

Silence.

_'Looks like they did run into the forest after all..' _Fortunately, the whole forest was not burning, Raditz discovered while flying over it. He flew over the demolished areas and landed where he thought would be safest.

The fumes filled his lungs and he coughed every few seconds even when covering his mouth and nostrils with one hand, the other clearing the fog blinding him. The bodies, trapped beneath blackened branches were unrecognizable; they looked vastly different from Princess Imarti and those other soldiers.

He kept going, careful not to trip over anything this time, checking every remaining branch for a fruit that was usable.

They were either crushed on the floor or burnt. Similarly to the people and the rest of the forest, the fruits looked nothing like what they did before.

He didn't bother to look around after a while, telling himself it was all the same; that there was nothing else to be seen.

In reality, he could not bear to face what he had done, and was angry at himself for feeling guilt, which was obviously seen as very un-saiyanlike. He focused his mind and kept his eyes on the floor, hoping his search would soon come to an end.

There was a deafening creaking sound and he turned behind him, moving just fast enough to avoid the tree behind him crushing him.

"Phew!"

Raditz stopped to catch his breath and he heard someone running.

He hid behind a tree, waiting for the survivor to pass him so he could terminate them.

As they approached, he listened in closer, hearing more frantic footsteps and a wailing baby.

Shuffling to side ever so slightly and peering round the tree trunk, he could see a woman, in what was once a beautiful summer dress but now torn and covered in dirt and blood.

She held her young son's hand who had trouble keeping up, and a wailing baby in her arms.

_'Where are they running to? Don't they know it's useless now?'_

Just as he was about to blast them to smithereens, there was another creak.

They were not fast enough.

Raditz expected their blood and guts to explode out from the weight, like in cartoons, but he could hardly see them under the large tree trunk.

He could only see the arm of the woman poking out from beneath.

_'Well..at least they'll be together in the afterlife..'_

Raditz heard the baby again. He went closer. Somehow, the baby had not been crushed, perhaps its mother moved it just in time.

He picked the annoying thing up and held it for a moment. The baby reminded him of Kakarrot, it was so loud and squirmy!

"P-please!" A weak, desperate voice spoke from under the fallen tree. The mother too, still living, sobbing dramatically knowing she was going to die.

"Don't hurt my baby!"

_'How the fuck is she still speaking?!'_

Raditz said nothing and allowed her to continue her useless plea.

"Don't you..have a mother, child?! Have you ever understood what it is like **to be loved, **or** to feel loved?!**"

"I did. But that doesn't fucking matter now, does it?!" He didn't expect himself to get so angry, or rude.

The mother coughed, blood coming from her mouth, "Why...why would a boy your age want to do this?!"

He was stumped. Yes, he knew the default answer, the one of Saiyan pride and bloodlust and for cleasing the universe of the weak...

Would it matter if he told her the truth? She was dying, nonetheless.

"Listen lady, I do this to live. Do I get a kick out of this? Eh, occasionally. Do I want to be here? No! I need to kill you all so I can go home, so do not make this hard for me!"

He charged up his blast towards her and the baby screamed in his ear again.

"I pity you." She said it so calmly, accepting her fate. Raditz did not know why, but he stopped.

"You poor thing. You can never go home..."

He tried to ignore his feelings, but could not continue until she had finished.

"Are your family dead too?"

He nodded without realising.

"Please find peace, child. I'm sure they would want that for you."

Raditz looked down, hoping his mother and father did want him to be happy, and were watching him. He didn't cry though, no, that was only the smoke in the air. Of course it was.

"At least you get to die with the rest of your family. That's something you have over me." Raditz admitted.

The woman nodded, still crying.

"Here." Raditz gave the baby back to its mother, so that they could die together.

He gathered his ki into his hands, hardly able to tell the difference from the energy's heat and the heat around him.

Something in him he could not explain made him close his eyes like the woman was doing in front of him.

He exhaled sharply, releasing his attack. Raditz stopped, and then stared at the charred remains for a moment, his mind... strangely empty.

The sounds around him, as well as the other things he was sensing before that made his head spin; drowned out by some out of place serenity.

Nothing seemed to make any sense anymore.

He came back to reality after what felt like a long time. The boy, trying to prove to himself he was completely unshaken by what had just occured, went on.

He did not bother to turn around again.

Eventually, he found one single unscathed tree.

Small, and sheltered by the others, it had the fruit he needed. They were not as large as the Gulab fruit he had yesterday, but there were many.

He just needed a way to carry them all. Raditz went back the way he came, searching for a dead body.

_'I'm so clever! All I need to do is take their clothes and make it into a bag!'_

He did admit to himself that it was a rather morbid way to carry the fruits, but on Planet Vegeta he had baskets, weaved by his mother mostly, to carry fruit from the orchard. Raditz was never too good at basket making; he always got frustrated when it didn't work and after a while decided he wouldn't try after all, since it was a thing for a woman to do.

When he had made that remark to his mother she promptly hit him across the face for being 'sexist', though he didn't know what that meant.

Not looking where he was going, as usual, he did not stumble on a rock, but a dead woman, wearing a dress of a similar fashion to the woman before.

He knelt down and found a way to take off her dress, a part of him feeling very wrong about it. His mother did tell him to respect women, after all. The skin on her felt strange. Raditz had never touched a dead person before. She was somehow cold even though the air was sweltering and was heavy to move. She didn't smell too bad, even to his sensitive Saiyan nose, so she hadn't been dead for too long.

When he finally got the dress off of her, he blushed a little after seeing her underwear.

She was sort of pretty, like the girls in the magazines that his mother didn't let him look at. He didn't know why he wasn't allowed to read it or why those girls weren't really wearing anything.

Raditz put her down and was mesmerized by how her body jiggled slightly as he moved her.

_'Girls are weird...and squishy.'_

He fashioned the dress into a bag, tearing away at some parts and tying other parts.

After returning and using his makeshift bag to carry the fruit, he found himself to be pleased with his handiwork.

He used his scouter again and launched into the sky, making his way back to Nappa.

* * *

"Do you always take so long, wherever you go?!" Nappa barked as Raditz descended.

Around him, were the bones of the monster he had eaten, and the fire that still roared.

After what Raditz had seen, he felt like that fire was nothing more than a flame from a lighter.

He ignored his comment and untied the bag, releasing 7 fruits.

"So, do I just eat these?" Nappa raised his eyebrow and picked one up; he scrutinized it like he was trying to discern if it was magical.

"Well...the girl used it as an external medicine, using the pulp of the fruit."

Raditz took the fruit from him and showed Nappa where it was put on him.

The long haired boy, once again utilizing his intuition, took a small bone left near the fire and opened up the fruit, mashing the insides until it was a thick paste. He didn't know if the princess added something else, he would have to make do with what he had.

He gave the opened up fruit to Nappa who began to put it on himself, muttering under his breath about how ridiculous and impossible this seemed. Raditz used two more fruits on Nappa and himself, then both Saiyans decided to get back to their Prince before he would hunt them down himself.

* * *

"Hmph! Where have you two been?! It's protocol to report to me!"

Raditz thought it was almost like the Prince of Saiyans had been practising his chastisement.

"And-" Vegeta stopped and sniffed the air, forgetting how furious he was.

"Why do you guys smell like fruit?"

Raditz held up the bag, with 4 Gulab fruits in it and explained what had happened, of course omitting some details that would get him in trouble for wasting time.

Vegeta snatched the bag from his hands and sighed, "Fine. 'Good job'..or whatever you want from me. Let's just hope Frieza is glad with our findings and spares you."

Raditz despised how his prince treated him. He wasn't looking to be placated, but valued.

Nappa chimed in, "C'mon, boys! We need to do one last check before making reports. Would you like us to split up, Prince?"

Raditz didn't understand why Nappa wasn't in charge. He was strong and experienced, why did he always let Vegeta decide?

"Fine. Raditz, head to the west and check around the palace, I'll take the cities, Nappa check more rural areas."

Raditz nodded and zoomed off. He was glad to be going to the palace, he could search for hidden treasures, like in adventure movies!

The castle had been demolished almost completely on one side, and Raditz made his way through thick piles of rubble.

Various trinkets, like vases and statues were broken. He tried to piece some together like a jigsaw, but to no avail. In the parts where the building was affected to a lesser degree, he found some jewelry similar to the necklace he had found in the forest.

He had left his bag where his comrades were, which was close to the pods and made a mental note to remember it and then shoved a variety of expensive looking things into spaces in his armour. Some hung out, he found as he looked in a broken mirror and laughed. He imagined himself as royalty, and grabbed some gold and threw it around him, just like King Vegeta did.

His armour was heavy now but it didn't bother him. Raditz was too distracted by what how much money he would get from his findings and all he could buy with it.

He became so distracted and lost in his imagination that he forgot that he was meant to be checking for survivors.

"You are all so loyal to me, which is good, because I am amazing!" He flexed on his imaginary crowd and threw more things at them, then picked them up to do it all over again, or shove the coins into his shoes.

He didn't even notice the rubble moving behind him.

"Thank you! Thank you all!" He waved and giggled.

A soldier came up from the rubble, like a zombie crowling out from a grave.

With a battle-cry he leapt at Raditz, who heard the coming danger just in time, like in the forest and dodged.

He wasn't able to stick the landing perfectly, his balance thrown off by the treasures in his armour.

_'This bastard is injured pretty badly...I can take him!'_

He got back up and into a fighting stance, the jewelry he draped around his neck swaying as he did so, and the bracelets and rings on his hands making him feel slightly uncomfortable as his body tensed.

The soldier, with one of his eyes blinded, as Raditz observed, aimlessly attempted to blast the boy, who laughed after easily avoiding it.

"My turn!" A smirk came to his face as he charged up one of his signature moves.

"Saturday Crush!!" With just one attack, the man was decimated.

Raditz checked that all the treasures were intact, and finally used his scouter to complete his job. There were no more people it seemed.

Sure, he could have taken the time to check, but he was growing bored of the planet and was pretty hungry too.

He made sure all his findings were secure, and flew back, stopping to pick up the bag of fruit and finally landing near the pods.

In them was food. Mostly tasteless bars that were supposed to recreate the flavour of something, but were supposedly packed with nutrients and protein.

Raditz took out a few different bars and tried each flavour, cleansing his palate with a water bottle in his pod, just like on all those fancy cooking shows his mother was obsessed with.

"Bleh!" He spat one out since it tasted disgusting.

"This doesn't taste like Fizzberry pie at all!"

"Well leave some for us!" Nappa landed with a thud and took a bar.

"You get used to the shitty taste after a while." He said, munching on the bar; even though he had just eaten the giant monster not long ago.

Vegeta followed, giving Raditz an awkward sideways glance, stifling a laugh.

"What's with all the jewelry, you have more than my mother did!"

Nappa looked at the boy and laughed, causing Vegeta also to chuckle.

Raditz laughed nervously, unsure if they were laughing at him or with him. "Heh, yeah...I took it all from the palace. We can sell em' off and have lots of money!"

"You idiot! Treasures get returned to the PTO to '**help their economy**'." Vegeta scoffed, "More like to buy Frieza more wine!" He took his scouter off to say that.

Raditz glanced at all the things he had found after he took them off to show his comrades. It was quite the haul, and Raditz could see their eyes growing wide.

He stood and thought for a minute, there was no way he was letting that Lizard take all his findings!

He signalled for his comrades to take off their scouters.

"What if we hide some of the stuff, and give Frieza some too! That way, it won't look suspicious or anything and we get to keep a bit!" He still spoke in a hushed tone, slightly paranoid like his father that they would still hear over the scouter.

Nappa and Vegeta exchanged curious glances, both considering his words warily.

Raditz anxiously played with his tail, hoping he wouldn't get shut down.

"I'll admit...it's a pretty good idea...but how do you intend to hide it?"

He hadn't got that far in his thinking.

"Uhm...we all have spaces in our armour. It's kinda uncomfortable, but you can't tell it's in there. If we put the treasure in our pods, we can distribute it later and decide how much Frieza gets."

Vegeta nodded and they all put their scouters back on. Raditz's tail perked upwards at Vegeta's compliment, he couldn't believe the prince wasn't screaming at him.

Nappa and Vegeta completed the report, as Raditz evenly distributed the jewels into each pod; to prevent the weight from being unbalanced.

Soon, they got back into their hatches. Raditz thought the coloured tint on the front of the pod made everything look strange and even more unpleasant. Though they had only been on the planet for a few days, (which would fetch them higher payment for being quick and effective), it felt like much longer.

He somehow missed the housing unit, but maybe he just wanted to leave this place that badly.

The hatch shut, leaving Raditz feeling a little claustrophobic, but he shook it off and input the commands. He remembered having tests in school on it, in which he used to cheat because he could not be bothered to study for such a thing, and the teachers warned him about how he could be stranded in space if he wasn't paying attention.

_'Hmph! That bitch Ms. Lettas was wrong, like always!'_

He proudly leaned back in his seat and strapped himself in. Raditz closed his eyes and tried to get comfortable, as the computerised voice counted down until the stasis gas would be released.

It was going rather slow, perhaps because of the model, and he felt his brain going fuzzy as he fell asleep and the engine geared up for launch.

_'Mmh..I'm..gonna have..so..many-'_

His thought was likely to end in the word '_sweets_', but his mind and body had already shut down; the engine roaring, and the jewels clinking together wasn't even enough to wake the boy, sleeping with a grin, his tail unfurled.


	8. Good Drunk and Bad Drunk

**Disclaimer: I dont own dbz, we know the drill blah blah lets have fun in lockdown kiddies****also please fucking follow or like or comment because im an attention whore and need validation love me**

* * *

The pod slammed against the landing spot, jolting Raditz awake. He regretted the position he had fallen asleep in because his limbs were stiff and sore. Getting out was a slight hassle for the boy, who was still re-adjusting to the atmosphere and regaining his balance; he tumbled and landed flat on his face, just as he had done many times before.

At least he hadn't broken his nose, like that time at his school, when everyone had laughed for ages and never let it go.

_'Unlike those pricks, I'm alive...**and** I get to work with Prince Vegeta!'_

He cheered himself up after he stood up, then rubbed his nose and closed the pod hatch. The Prince was already handing in the tablet with his report to the officer who managed the returning soldiers.

Raditz was pretty glad they didn't need the healing tanks. He had never liked them, the liquid would sting sometimes and he felt weird being completely naked in them.

Nappa was out too, and once the officer had left them alone and the coast was clear, the Saiyans wasted no time in taking out all the gold and jewels and working out how much Frieza would get. They attempted to split it up according to size, with Nappa fitting the most in his armour, but once he practised bowing, the bracelets and necklaces could be seen. All 3 of them knew if they were caught hiding things from Frieza that they would be severely punished.

"I don't even know why I agreed to this!" Nappa grumbled, tying the bag with the fruits and a portion of the treasure. The fruits hadn't rotted due to the conditions in the pod, although they did seem to be slightly squishier, now out and in the atmosphere of Frieza Planet 79.

"You idiots! They _have_ lockers!" Vegeta pointed towards the main entrance, which had a sign indicating that the lockers were to the west, opposite the Mess Hall.

"Why didn't you say that before?!" Raditz said, his tail drooping after recalling his Prince's temper.

"Well that's obvious! I didn't say that earlier because...I wanted to see if you were capable of coming up with good ideas!"

Raditz and Nappa gave each other a slight look, both seeing through the Prince's lies but playing along, hoping not to invoke his wrath.

"I... was merely testing you, just as Nappa was!" The Prince turned away from them, frowning and folding his arms.

"Raditz, use that card Zarbon gave you and go put that stuff away. We'll come back after we eat." Nappa took everything out of his armour and gave it to Raditz, who unfortunately would have to carry it all.

"Look who's forgetting now! Frieza needs to meet us after missions, remember?!" Vegeta grabbed the bag and told Raditz to be careful that no one saw him. His prince then contacted Frieza using a channel he was given specially by the tyrant, and Raditz left swiftly.

_'This is like a stealth mission in a game! I'll be just like a little ninja!'_

He hung round a corner, checking to see the corridor had no soldiers in it. Because it was night, there weren't any people, as expected. He walked speedily, careful not to lose his balance again or drop anything, and heard loud chatter from the Mess Hall. Raditz's stomach growled but he knew he had to wait. He turned and went down the corridor leading to the lockers, as directed by the sign.

Checking behind him once or twice, then hurrying onwards, he was filled with relief as he entered the room, then whooped, feeling proud of his _'ninja' _mission.

He checked for his card in his armour and his heart sank when he couldn't find it. He searched everywhere, he knew he had put it in there, in one of those small pockets. There was no way it could have fallen out!

Raditz kept looking and did not notice the humming from outside the door.

The door creaked open and Raditz stood standing still, the treasure still on the floor in a large, noticeable heap.

"Ah, my new little student, Raditz!"

He wasn't sure if he was glad it was Zarbon or not.

_'Will he beat me if he knows I lost that card?!'_

Raditz tried his best to act nonchalant and turned to bow to his master politely.

"I'm very glad you're alright after such a difficult mission!" The teal-skinned alien bent down to pat Raditz on the head. The boy stood in front of the treasure, as if that would do any good.

"Oh, thank you, sir!" He nervously laughed and his tail swished, knocking over a chalice on the pile behind him.

The clinking sound it made as it hit the cold concrete beneath his feet made his heart pound.

"What's all this?" His master inquired, after finally catching sight of the pile.

"...what's all what, sir?" Raditz's voice trembled, he knew it was an awful idea to play dumb, but he didn't know what else to do.

"Oh, you didn't notice all the treasure behind you?" Zarbon's piercing gaze went right through him.

"This? Oh, right! Uh, you see, I'm in here to put it in a locker! I was going to eat with the others and I..uh..had to keep it safe to give to Lord Frieza!" He gave another small, awkward laugh and scratched at the back of his head with his hand.

"I see...now, do you have that special card I gave you, it can be used to open one." Zarbon seemed to believe Raditz, but the boy's fear only increased. He knew people didn't like it when he lost something they had given him, he knew it all too well from his parents, and hoped not to lose the bands his father bestowed.

"Um...about that-" Raditz kept his head down, and played with his tail, attempting to calm himself.

"Raditz, do you mean to tell me that you have lost that special card?" Zarbon knelt down and lifted the boy's chin with his hand, in the way his mother would when he was distressed. His feminine fingers were icy cold under his jaw, Raditz thought about how many people those hands must have killed.

"uh...y-yes sir. I-I'm so...so sorry!" The boy confessed, and backed away to bow apologetically to his master.

"Please forgive me!"

What Raditz had actually wanted to say was _'please don't hurt me'_ but knew that showing fear often made things worse.

"Forgive you..?" The elegant elite chuckled. Raditz was certain he would be beaten.

"What for? It was my fault for leaving such an important thing with a child."

Raditz relaxed but raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I...don't understand, sir.." He stood up, still standing quite far away from Zarbon.

"I don't expect you to." The man walked over to him, unknowingly making Raditz feel like he was backed into a corner. "I'll give you another card when you get a bit older and more responsible, yes? For now, you may leave this gold with me...why don't I take it to Lord Frieza for you? That way you won't have to struggle!"

Zarbon walked over to the heap.

"No!" Raditz exclaimed.

Zarbon then stopped in his tracks.

"I beg your pardon?! I'm doing you a favour, child!"

Raditz could not let Zarbon take away all his earnings that he worked hard to get. "I...wanna deliver it personally, sir! Please forgive my outburst, I..just really want to prove my loyalty and gratitude to Lord Frieza!" He knew how to kiss ass when it was needed. Stroking people's egos was easy and proved to be incredibly useful.

"Aww..it warms my heart to see such a thing, especially from a **Saiyan**! Alright then soldier, I will give you a special locker key...a real one, not a flimsy card. Just wait here, okay?" His master booped his nose in a manner that creeped Raditz out a little.

Zarbon returned after a minute that felt longer than it should have, since Raditz wanted to leave the cold, metallic room desperately.

"Here." Zarbon handed over a shiny purple key, with a label that read '7'

"It unlocks locker 7." He pointed to where it was, though Raditz had already figured it out. Raditz inserted the key, and the purple locker and its rusted hinges squeaked as he pulled it open. The locker was tall, yet thin, but would contain his treasure. Zarbon watched on as the boy heaved every single item into the locker.

Raditz sighed heavily once he was done loading it all in, and shut the locker.

"Good! When you leave here, please return your key to the main desk. Do you know where that is, **child**?" He continued to talk in his condescending manner, annoying Raditz who hated being treated like a baby. Still, he shook his head, since he didn't actually know where it was.

"You need to walk past the courtyard, its to the left of Lord Frieza's office." A beep came from his scouter, which was a brand new model, Raditz noticed.

"Oh, I must be going..it was fun to catch up with my new favourite student. I'll see you on your first day at the academy!"

He left with a smile on his face, but Raditz didn't share the same joy. His brain could not fight how curious he was now. _'New favourite student? Who was his old student?'_

He soon realised that this wasn't the time to be thinking about his master's past, no, he had a place to be, much like him. He put the key safely in his armour. It poked his skin slightly but he had to be on his way.

Raditz ran back to his comrades, who had sent a message that Raditz was too distracted to see.

* * *

"Yep, it's confirmed." Nappa said to Vegeta, as Raditz caught his breath.

"He always takes too long to carry out a simple task!" Nappa yelled, making Raditz flinch.

"Sorry.." Raditz apologised, angry at himself for disappointing them yet again.

"We have no time for '**sorry**'! Frieza is expecting us immediately and he despises people who are late!" Vegeta took hold of the bag, and led his squad towards Frieza's office, a path he had walked many times.

* * *

The guards once again pulled the door open, and Raditz remembered to bow.

"Greetings, Lord Frieza. We have returned from Planet Mithai. The job was a success, and we have brought you gifts." Vegeta eloquently greeted the tyrant, who hadn't even turned to look at them.

Frieza took a long sip of wine; almost guzzling down the whole glass.

"Gifts, you say?" He finally swivelled the chair around to look at his precious monkeys. Raditz thought the wine looked like blood as the emperor licked it from his purple lips.

"Bring them forward, my prince." Vegeta brought them, untying the bag and bowing after he put the goods on the floor.

Frieza lifted them effortlessly, using a small beckoning motion of his index finger. Raditz held back a gasp. He just thought that the rumours of Frieza's powers were true, he had assumed that they were just to scare people.

"This gold is exquisite..but, why have you brought me fruit?"

Frieza held one in his hand, and seemed perplexed, like Nappa and Vegeta were.

"The flesh of the fruit have healing properties once applied to wounds, my Lord." Informed the Prince, still kneeling on the floor, concealing his hatred for the lizard.

"Have your **monkey** soldiers tested it for you?!" He chortled, his regal manner slightly off. His laughter echoed as he poured himself more wine.

"Oh, don't look at me like that!" He stared at Nappa and Raditz, whilst trying to stop himself from laughing at his own joke, who looked offended without realising it themselves.

"I was merely joking with you! Come now. ..I would have thought Saiyans had more of a sense of humour!"

Raditz didn't like the name of his glorious, though now dead, people as it rolled off the creature's sickening tongue. The Lizard's petite hands gripped round his golden wine glass and he gulped down some more.

"I have already read your report, my **wonderful Prince.**" The tyrant said with emphasis, slurring his words.

Raditz did not like how he called Vegeta '_His_'. Frieza was the opposite of what the Saiyans stood for, or at least that's what his father said on one of those nights where he'd have a bit of whisky and rant.

"It's all very lovely, but why have you destroyed the natural land? I so desperately wanted to use it, but now because of your monkey business, I can't sell this planet!"

Raditz bit his lip, praying he wouldn't be blamed.

"Please forgive us sir, my comrades and I-" It was finally Vegeta's turn to show some fear. Raditz took some sort of pleasure out of it, but it wasn't the right time to want to laugh.

The tyrant exploded with laughter.

"Oh goodness, Vegeta! You do bring me such joy! Ah, the looks on your faces!" Frieza snapped his fingers, still grinning ear to ear. A servant speedily came in to hand Frieza another wine bottle.

"Sir...you've already had 7 bottles-"

He didn't even have time to react to the blast sent his way.

With that, the servant had become space dust. A few maids followed, rapidly sweeping up the ashes. The bottle was moved by Frieza's powers in the nick of time, and he held it in his claw, almost spilling some as he poured the intoxicating liquid.

"I didn't care for the land! I have many other planets for that, and I tend not to send monkeys for those kinds of jobs! I wanted to see how you were as a leader.." The Ice-Jin sipped mid-sentence, then swirled his cup and looked pensive.

"To see...how careless you can be, but don't fret, my **endangered** entourage! I will ensure that in future you are **much** more thoughtful." His finger traced the rim of the chalice; the sound emanating from it was skull-shattering to the young, sensitive ears of the Saiyan children. Nappa was most likely unaffected, Raditz supposed, since he was so loud he caused himself to lose his own hearing.

Lord Frieza laughed giddily upon a single glance at the children who's faces contorted uncomfortably from the vibrations of the glass. Even Vegeta seemed quite puzzled by Frieza's behaviour, his erratic ways more unsettling than normal.

Raditz concluded that Frieza was drunk, although he wasn't sure if he was good, or bad drunk.

Sometimes, his father came home after going to the bar, and he would say things to his mother that he did not understand, but Raditz remembered her flustered laughing as her face went red. When his father was good drunk, it was pretty funny, but when he was bad drunk..

Raditz glared at the spot on his foot where the piece of glass had gotten stuck. A shard of glass that had been from an empty beer bottle Bardock had thrown at the boy, had gotten stuck in his heel after he accidentally stood on it. It was trapped there for around 5 days, he recalled. He was too scared to tell anyone.

When his mother was drunk, she acted much differently. Sometimes, much more lively and loud, but other times, sadder. Raditz saw her crying after drinking too much a few times, but at least she was hardly ever like his father when having too much alcohol.

Frieza spoke again after wiping a tear from his eye, the wide smile bearing his shining teeth still on his face.

"So, I presume you boys are ready for school?"

Raditz snapped back into the present time.

"I can't wait to see you in uniform, looking so prim and proper. Yes, what good little monkey students you'll be!"

Vegeta was fighting back his rage now. "Thank you, Lord Frieza. May we have permission to leave?" The Prince spoke with his fists balled tightly, feigning politeness and respect.

"Oh right, yes! Please don't eat everything in sight, like your father...ah, what a great man...well, he was until-"

Vegeta stood up, his anger hardly containable.

Frieza saw the boy and stopped speaking. "Look at me, going on forever about things in the past! Enjoy the summer, Saiyans, your payment will be made swiftly!" The lizard's sing-songy tone was chilling, to say the least, and his goodbye wave seemed too joyous.

All 3 of them let out a huge sigh of relief once they exited. The invisible weight that seemed to be crushing their lungs, preventing them from breathing in the tyrant's presence had been lifted.

Raditz, however, was faced with another obstacle, that was not too far away.

School.

* * *

2 weeks had passed.

Raditz hadn't done very much. The other people in the building had mostly avoided him, apart from Ms. Kafi, who had taken Vegeta and Raditz to get the uniforms.

"I was gonna bring my youngest son, Moka, but my oldest son La'tei has given him his old uniform!" Ms. Kafi continously chattered, as they walked down to the shop that day. She talked about her sons mostly, and about the school. Vegeta didn't care at all, he kept his arms folded, and didn't respond to anything she asked.

"My sons must be around your age, how old are you two?" She still tried to cheer the boys up a bit and maintain conversation, as the bell dinged when they opened the door.

"Oh, I'm 7, and Vegeta is 5." Raditz replied, after being temporarily distracted by the miserable children with their parents, who were getting uniforms. The shop was busy with last minute buyers.

"Wow! That's the same as my boys! Don't worry, I'm sure you two will get along with them just fine!" She cheerfully said, and found the parts of their uniforms on the racks. Her wings took up the space behind her as she filed through the clothes.

"Hmm.." She took a good look at the pair, and almost instantly found them the right sizes.

After trying it on, he noticed it was slightly bigger than him, to give him room to grow, she had said.

"Why do the ties have different stripes?" Vegeta's tie had purple and silver, whilst his had red instead of purple.

"It's to show class. I.. .personally don't agree with it. I guess it's useful though, your teachers can tell easily."

Raditz went and looked in the mirror.

Since he was in the lower school, he had a dark purple jumper, with the same colour stripes around the collar as the tie, with black pants and shoes.

"Well don't you two look so smart and handsome!"

Raditz thought he looked awful. The colours were ugly and the clothes were uncomfortable. The stitching of the PTO symbol on each jumper made Raditz think that it made the students all look like robots.

On Planet Vegeta, the heat meant that uniform was impractical, besides, they mostly wore armour.

"Don't worry, they'll give you armour in school for free!" Ms. Kafi told them as they waited in line. Raditz was glad to be back in his own clothes, but he was made even more upset by this. He loved his battle armour because it was **his**.

He remembered when he first got it, once he had passed the ancient, sacred trials to become a Saiyan warrior.

His mother cried, she was so happy...or at least that's what he thought. Even his father beamed with pride.

For around a week, the boys had trained. Raditz had made a fool of himself on his home planet on the first day of school. The children had to read out their power level in front of a hall, and whilst on stage, Raditz's leg had become tangled in the microphone cord and he had fallen over, but even before he tripped, some children were laughing at how pathetically weak he was.

That was prior to his proper training though. Raditz eventually became one of the strongest amongst his class, like his father did, but the stronger kids still picked on him. At least he was able to defend his weaker friends.

* * *

Soon, it was the night before his first day. He wondered if Vegeta was nervous at all, the Prince had never gone to school, after all.

In the back of his head, Raditz had this stupid idea that he shortly dismissed, that he would play big brother to Vegeta, and would earn his friendship.

But life wasn't like TV shows, and Vegeta was nothing like Kakarot could ever had been.

He hadn't actually thought of Kakarot recently. He didn't want to.

The TV screamed its useless nonsense, interrupted by static. In the time he had off, Raditz had noticed some things about the things and people around him.

He learnt that the propaganda shows ran from 2pm until 6pm, and that cartoons mostly played on weekends and in the morning, so he tried to get to the TV by then.

Ms. Kafi was hardly around since her boys came home from summer camp. Raditz had not met them yet, but would take the tram with them to school tomorrow. La'tei, who was his age, had been at the school for two years already, so Raditz decided that it would be in his best interest to hang around with him.

"Right, you two!" Nappa had come in from the kitchen with snacks for himself.

"You have school, so go to bed!" He dismissively waved his hand and sank into the end of the sofa, taking up half the space.

Raditz said good night in Saiyan to them both, and only Nappa replied. Vegeta shut the door without a word.

The Prince of Saiyans had hardly spoken to Raditz at all, and even then, rarely opened his mouth to Nappa. He mostly just shouted at them when he wasn't getting his way.

Raditz lay in his bed, slightly excited. He wondered how big it would be, how many people from all different races, how strong people would be...

Indeed he was nervous, but he could turn it into an adventure.

_'Everything is an adventure when you look at it the right way!'_

Raditz repeated a line from one of his favourite cartoon heroes in his head as he fell asleep, hoping he could be as amazing as them.


	9. A Second First Day At School

**Disclaimer: I don't own dragonball or anything blah blah, if I did there would be an ungodly amount of fanservice .****(ive come to entertain you during coronatime again kiddies please love me. ive written almost 10 chapters and gotten 4 likes but hey im having fun..unlike Raditz.****shout out to all of you lovely people for getting this far and to my queen of a beta reader: RoyalBlueRoses.****have fun kiddies and remember to comment, literally you can comment a poop emoji idc)**

* * *

The night was over fast.

Raditz woke to the sound of the TV and what he thought to be static but was in fact rain. He pulled the curtains open and the rusted rail fell off. He made a mental note to tell Ms Kafi and left his room, yawning.

"Why are you already dressed?" Raditz asked his Prince, who sat watching the news, his breakfast of cup ramen already eaten.

"Why aren't you?" Vegeta replied, not taking his eyes off of the screen. Raditz decided he didn't have the energy to deal with the Prince, instead he went to the bathroom.

He hovered over the icy floor, and as he brushed his teeth, he motivated himself in his head. Once he had finished, he smiled in the mirror, showing his now radiant teeth. His mother liked to emphasise the power of a bright smile,and what good could come out of it.

**_'Smile even when you are sad!'_**

Her advice she had given on his first day at school on Planet Vegeta had stuck with him clearly, though it was harder to pull a smile when he was wearing an idiotic uniform. When Nappa came out of his room, he looked at the boys' uniforms, then rubbed his eyes as if he were still dreaming. He was attempting to stifle his laughter, to no avail.

"You look so weird! I can't even-" Nappa chortled loudly and Vegeta yelled at him to shut up.

"Sorry...anyways, Ms what's-her-name invited you two downstairs."

Raditz wanted to tell Nappa her name but Vegeta had already left, so he had to follow.

_'I didn't even get breakfast.'_ He thought glumly, taking off after Vegeta.

The young Prince led the way to the basement, now with a fully functional bulb and knocked on the door, only to be told it was open.

"MAMA! I'M NOT GOING!!" A young boy wailed from underneath the small dining table. The food laid out on it made Raditz realise that he was actually starving; but for the sake of politeness would not take anything.

Ms Kafi knelt down on the floor, lifting the sheet on the table, where her sniffling son clung tightly to the wooden centre of the table.

"Come on Moka! Big boys go to school!" She tried to coax the boy into going, but he continuously refused, whilst Raditz and Vegeta stood watching the scene awkwardly.

"S-sorry about this boys, I don't wanna make you late..Moka, my youngest is very nervous about school. Uh..could you try to convince him, I need to get La'tei up!" She left to go wake her oldest son, and while Vegeta stayed leaning against the wall, his arms folded grumpily, Raditz had gone to calm the boy.

Moka was small, like Vegeta, with wings more like a bat or a dragon. His hair and skin were brown like his mother, but his hair was much wilder and spikier, and his teeth very sharp.

"Hey..there!" He went under the table with the crying kid, who was startled.

"Ah! W-who are you?!" He stayed far away from Raditz, his eyes still brimming with tears.

"My name is Raditz..I live on the 4th floor now. Your mama has been very nice to me. So..you scared of school?"

The boy nodded his head and blubbered, "There's so many people, and all the big kids!"

"Well..it's fine to be scared..I guess. It's ok though, you'll have your brother to look out for you..and I will too!"

"Huh?" He said, then wiped his teary eyes, through numerous sobs, "B-but..La'tei won't be in my class!"

"Hmm..well Vegeta will be, and he'll look after you too, won't you Vegeta!"

Raditz got out from beneath the table and Moka did too. Vegeta scowled but Raditz gave him a sympathetic look and the prince scoffed, "Fine, whatever! But if you cry around me, I might be tempted to-"

"Moka! What are you doing?!" La'tei entered and dragged him away from the boys, scolding him in their own unfamiliar language. Moka went off, his cheeks still stained by tears, then La'tei approached the two Saiyans with a stern look on his face.

"What's your deal?!"

La'tei looked fiercer than Ms Kafi and Moka. His eyes were not a deep hazel, but a fiery red, and his wings, more defined than Moka's. His hair was red at the ends, his bangs almost covering his left eye.

"Nothing! Your mother told us to come here."

The child scrutinized them both and sighed, "Fine. But don't talk to Moka, got it?!" He warned, and Vegeta had a small smile, knowing that the boy could easily be beaten by him, but decided to further provoke him.

"And why is that? Raditz and I were helping him!"

_'You mean, **you** stood there whilst **I**, **actually** did something?!' _Thought Raditz, who was smart enough to keep his mouth shut now.

"I don't want my brother hanging around with bad people like you! You may have fooled my mama, but she's too trusting anyway. If you Saiyans dare hurt anyone in this building I will-"

La'tei was dangerously close to the two volatile children and Vegeta seemed ready to fight, until they were interrupted by Ms Kafi.

"La'tei! That is not how we greet friends!" The kind lady stood, in shock at her son. Moka stood behind her, clinging to her leg, his undeveloped wings held back.

"But mama-"

"But nothing! Now, how about we all start over with a proper introduction!" She clapped her hands together and gave a wide smile, her fangs quite out of place in contrast to the rest of her compassionate face.

La'tei took her aside to the kitchen. Raditz's stomach overtook common courtesy and so he snatched a toaster pastry that was in the middle of the table.

_'Mmh! Fudge sundae flavour!'_

La'tei conversed with his mother in their tongue, so that the Saiyans couldn't understand.

Whilst Raditz was helping himself, La'tei and his mother were quietly arguing.

"Mama we hardly know them! They're killers anyway!"

"Shhh! La'tei," She knelt down and placed a hand on his shoulder, "You know it is wrong to judge too easily! You know, I see good in them. They're just scared kids, their people have died! I think if you got to know them-"

He brushed her hand off and stepped back, "Why do you always do this?! You claim to see the good in people, but you only see what you want to see, just like with Papa, and you know how that turned out!"

He was met with a harsh slap across the face.

"Don't mention your Papa! It doesn't matter anymore!" She immediately felt regret for what she had done upon seeing the bewildered look in his eyes, and calmed herself down. "Listen, La'tei, I know you want to protect your brother, you always have...but...you have to learn to trust people sometimes. Be kind to others, and they'll be kind to you!"

He didn't seem convinced, yet he rubbed his face where he had been struck and smiled, grabbing his bag.

"Now, are all you boys ready?" Kafi beamed, viewing all of the boys as adorable, especially Prince Vegeta with his permanent scowl.

"Yes." They said in unison, all sounding rather deflated.

"Remember to smile!" She said as she waved them out the door.

_'What was there to smile about?' _Raditz thought. He had eaten very little for breakfast (or at least what was very little to a Saiyan) and it was pouring sheets of rain outside. They hurried towards the tram station, and though La'tei had reluctantly given them his umbrella and shared with Moka, they were still rather drenched.

The tram was busy, the older kids joked and sniggered loudly, and Raditz didn't dare look at them. His satchel, thank the gods, did not get wet. Raditz had left all his personal belongings at home to protect them, but kept the little bag of sweets in there, as if he would eat one of his precious gems that served as something to remember his mother and his home by. Each sweet had their own little deformity, 1 or 2 had cracks, or some were rough around the edges, and they all were coloured: some a vivid vermillion, others a crystal-like chartreuse, and a few even shiny sapphire.

"Um...c-can I have one...please?" The boy did not expect Moka to talk at all during the journey. He didn't want to say no, in case Moka would cry and make his brother do something about it. Raditz didn't know how strong La'tei was, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out.

"Well..my mother made me these, so.."

"I'll trade you!" He pulled out a chocolate bar and La'tei gave a disapproving glance, but all Raditz could care about was the bar.

"Is that a Galactic Zap bar?!" He clamoured, instantly recognising the gold and black wrapper.

"Yeah, are..you a fan of the show, too?!"

Raditz was indeed a fan and was happy to have found something in common with Moka, who revealed that La'tei was an _even bigger _fan than him, causing his older, tougher sibling to blush. Vegeta stayed distant through the whole conversation, the view from outside the window was mesmerising to look at.

Raditz looked at the luscious bar; recalling the adverts of it, which were placed in some parts of the show, to give the characters power boosts. His mother never let him have one, they were quite expensive because importing had heavy costs, as expected. He looked down at the silk bag, the string neatly tied around the top.

Would he be betraying his mother and her memory by giving away a part of what she had lovingly made?

"..here." After some deliberation, the conflict in his mind was over, and he gave Moka a red sweet. The bright orb made the boy smile, and he carried on, grinning innocently for the rest of the trip as the sweet melted in his mouth. Raditz didn't get the chance to eat the bar, so he saved it in his bag for later.

It was a struggle getting off the tram, arguably more so than getting on it. The older kids shoved in front of them, and they had to squeeze through the narrow doors without being stepped on. La'tei led them out, holding his brother's hand tightly as he did so. They came up from the station, Moka nearly tripped on the stairs and his brother scolded him. The chatter of the children grew louder as they approached the tall gates. The building was rather old, yet foreboding, and the yard held many students in it.

Raditz caught sight of another, larger building to the west and asked La'tei about it.

"Oh, that? That's the high school." Raditz didn't think it was possible, but the high school seemed even more terrifying. Even the lower school, which he was in, was almost twice as large as the one on Planet Vegeta. It was separated into two parts, again for lower and higher. Raditz was due to start in the higher part, which he thought to be good. He would have more respect, and be able to play where the younger kids did, and Vegeta could not.

Vegeta seemed unnerved by all of this, which in a strange way; disappointed Raditz, who was almost hoping for Vegeta to be apprehensive so that he could share some advice and earn his Prince's respect.

The oversized speakers that were dotted around the premises blared orders at the children, some of which almost had a heart attack as the unexpected voice was projected out and into their eardrums.

"NEW STUDENTS, GO TO THE MAIN HALL **IMMEDIATELY**! EVERYONE ELSE, GET TO YOUR NEW CLASSROOMS!"

As if a switch had been flicked on in their heads, the children moved directly to where they should go. Raditz's heart was racing, but he couldn't trace whether it was from fear, or just the shock caused by the loud voice.

"La'tei! Don't go!" Moka clinged to his brother, his eyes getting watery already. La'tei shook his brother off after reassuring him, and the sniffling child hurried along with Vegeta.

The hall was grand, with a Frieza Force banner hanging down from the stage at the Front, where a short, serious looking woman stood in front of a podium on a stool to hide her diminutive figure. Many other teachers were dotted around, guiding the children into rows depending on age. Vegeta sat towards the front, where Moka apprehensively took a seat next to him. Vegeta, obviously too high and mighty to be sitting on the unclean floor, hovered just above it, and shifted away from Moka.

The children chattered amongst each other; some clearly already making friends. There were mostly younger classmates, with very few on the back benches where the older kids got to sit. Raditz was the only one on his bench, so he scanned the others, looking for someone who would keep him company.

That scrawny fish looking guy?

No, there had to be someone better.

He kept looking. What about the boy with lighting sparks around him, his arms confidently folded as he whispered something to the girl beside him, making her giggle? Raditz saw that he was rather built for his age, like him, but couldn't see his tie to check his class.

He pulled out his scouter from his bag, and raised it to his face, but some old crone swiped it from his hands.

"Hey! Give it back!" Raditz exclaimed, and the hag furrowed her bushy eyebrows.

"No scouters allowed! This isn't the time to train!" She kept it in her obviously fake fancy brand handbag. "And you best get yourself some manners, young man! You may collect your scouter at the end of the day!"

Raditz sighed heavily.

_'What an evil old witch!'_ He looked at the boy again, and was too scared to approach, in the case he was an elite. Not that the elite children frightened him or anything, or at least that's what he would tell people, in fact it was their attitude that bothered the boy.

The raucous noise from the children echoed around the vast space in the hall, until the woman at the front cleared her throat and yelled,

"**SILENCE!!!**"

Everyone stopped and turned to face her. They all sat up straight, attentively, like dogs awaiting a command.

_'Ugh..at least we know who it was talking into the speaker..' _

She was somehow even more tumultuous without a microphone and in close proximity. Though Raditz was quite far back in the hall, he could clearly hear every stern word.

"Welcome to our grand and glorious school! We will do our very best here to mould you into a fine servant to the Frieza Force! Every single one of you, whether you be a soldier, tactician, medic, scientist or businessperson, will have a role to fill in our wonderful Planetary Trade Organisation!" She was eloquent, with every syllable fully pronounced, yet some aspects of her voice grating to the ear, like nails on a chalkboard. Raditz found often that foreboding figures talked like that, on TV, and in real life.

"Oh, I am forgetting myself, I'm terribly sorry!" She nervously chuckled and cleared her throat again, "I do get distracted talking about the fantastic life our amazing leader, Lord Frieza, has created for you all. My name is Berryblue, and I work very closely with Lord Frieza, and because I believe in the power of youth ever so much, I have decided to be headmistress here!"

A girl sat behind Raditz, he didn't turn around to look because some part of him was afraid that Berryblue would see, and that she would end up being more of a wicked old witch than the other teacher.

The girl sharply pulled his tail, and he let out a small yelp that luckily went unnoticed as everyone was too distracted by Berryblue droning on about how "children are like pieces of clay, waiting to be molded into something great" in a way that was frighteningly enthusiastic. Raditz turned himself around and angrily whispered (well as angrily as anyone could whisper),

_"What gives?!" _

However, his expression and tone quickly shifted upon seeing the girl's appearance.

"Zaffra?!" She smiled. "What are you doin' here?"

The girl shushed him and laughed, "Going to school, why else would I be here?"

Raditz felt a bit stupid after asking that question, but he didn't let it show.

"Why did you have to pull my tail?" His furry limb was now around his waist, where it should have been. Raditz was technically responsible, since he was the one being so careless with it, regardless of the warnings he always received from his parents when he was with them.

"Well, how else could I get your attention?" She smirked mischievously, bearing a side Raditz did not get to see in their last encounter.

"I dunno, a tap on the shoulder, or somethin'?"

"Aww, but that's not as fun!" She twirled one of her springy, vibrant curls.

"I'll get you back though, just watch!" Raditz grinned, thinking of how he could exact his revenge. He decided that it would be a good idea to sit next to Zaffra; it was awkward turning around and would likely get him into trouble if a teacher saw him talking. He tried to jump backwards, standing up would look obvious, after all. Before he could land on a seat another boy had come to sit next to Zaffra. Raditz fell to the floor below him, and the boy laughed scornfully, tiny sparks of electricity emanating from his body, making Raditz's hair stick up.

It was the same boy from before, without a doubt, but Raditz never saw him move. _'How could he get all the way over here without moving a muscle?!'_ The aggravated Saiyan picked himself up and his pondering and building hatred for this boy was cut short by the same teacher from before, who dragged him by the ear towards the hall's exit.

"Ow! Let go of me, you **stupid bitch**!"

The woman, who Raditz thought resembled a crow, slapped him across the face, sending the boy tumbling onto the ground, rubbing his face in agony, earning howls of laughter and gasps of shock from the children.

From the corner of his eye, Raditz could see that boy roaring with laughter, whilst, mouth agape, Zaffra stared in awe. Even their loud-mouth principal, Berryblue, had fallen silent.

The lady, grabbed him roughly by the hand and with her face crimson with vexation, hurriedly took him outside of the hall.

"You will stand here, you **insolent boy**, and you will not move a muscle!" She had him stand outside an office, with a blood-red door in the foyer.

"The headmistress will deal with you, boy, and you'd best hope that she's feeling somewhat merciful today, now that you've interrupted her introduction assembly!"

The awful, bird-like woman went back into the hall and Raditz slumped against the grey wall, arms folded petulantly. '_This is just great! I fucked up my first day at school..again!'_

The clock ticked, it's rhythmic sound echoing in the halls. The women at the reception desk sat around, eating biscuits and drinking lukewarm tea or coffee, their disgusting slurping sounds filling Raditz's ears. They looked at him and tutted, shaking their heads and murmuring to one another. They didn't seem to be doing much actual work, all they did was gossip idly and stuff their faces in a repulsive manner.

Raditz attempted to keep his mind off the consequences of his actions, but there wasn't much else to think about, apart from how much he already hated the miserable place, or how annoying and useless everyone in it was.

Eventually, a bell rang, and the children poured out of the hall through its various exits, now put into classes, led by a teacher to their respective classrooms. Vegeta looked at Raditz, then huffed and looked away. Moka's class went in the opposite direction and Moka waved at Raditz, and the Saiyan waved back. The bird lady left too, staring daggers at him as she took Zaffra and some other children down a different hallway to the younger kids.

Soon, everyone had emerged, including the headmistress, who wasn't much taller than Raditz. She opened the door and led him in.

She sat at her desk and stirred her tea, taking a sip, soundlessly. "Sit down." Berryblue's inviting tone caused him to sit without much deliberation, once again, he was easily controlled by her.

She got up, stood on a stool and opened a cabinet full of files. Her petite fingers flicked through the files as she mumbled to herself, aiming to find the one she was desperate for.

"Ah! There it is!" She exclaimed with delight as she pulled out a rather full file and opened it up.

"Radittsu! What a lovely name, whatever does it mean?"

"Um...most people just call me Raditz..I just..don't like my real name.." He played with his tail as he explained his name as best he could.

"It was my grandfather's name..."

Berryblue nodded, as if she was listening and looked through his file, causing Raditz to feel slightly paranoid.

_'I thought those files were only on Planet Vegeta...does that mean the PTO knows **everything** about me?! Shit, what if they find out about Kakarot!?'_

"It seems you've had problems in school before, correct?" Raditz agreed, but he stubbornly believed that it was the people in school who had problems with him.

"You've been expelled, had multiple detentions, other forms of punishment, goodness, don't you ever learn?" She sighed and shook her head, putting down the file.

"Learn what, Miss..?" He said, then raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Our spectacular Lordship praises obedience and loyalty, as well as politeness and grace! It must be hard for you, you **poor, mindless** thing...it must be like everything has been taken from you."

Why could the boy feel his heart racing, though there was no danger, only words?

"You need to understand, Raditz...understand that your pride will get in the way of what you can do. We should not do things that are bad, no! You want to be rewarded, right? Here's how you do it.." She leaned close and spoke lowly,

"If you can calm your Saiyan brutality, keep quiet and composed, you will do amazing things here. I will make it my responsibility, to turn you from a degenerate, no-good delinquent, to a star pupil!"

Raditz was conflicted on what he should feel, but hoped that there would be no punishments.

"Now, unfortunately, we will...have to talk about consequences. So, let me use my sheet to work out a suitable punishment for you!"

From a drawer she took out a sheet with a list of offences and their corresponding outcomes, writing them down into his file as she read the list carefully. The Saiyan child thought that it was a strange thing to have, but just thought Berryblue liked to be incredibly organised. On Planet Vegeta, they'd give you a punishment depending on how angry you had made the person deciding it.

'_I hope tail slicing isn't on that list..' _He looked at the scars, which were healing decently.

"You need to write an apology letter to Miss Croe, attend a detention at lunch and will attend classes this week to improve your lack of discipline." Raditz's tail dropped. All of that, just for one thing?

The door flung open.

"Miss Berryblue, you are needed at-"

"Well, Zarbon, if you are going to interrupt me so rudely, you could at least have the decency to finish your sentence!"

The teal skinned general, who was usually much calmer than this, stuttered after she snapped at him and told her she immediately had to meet with Lord Frieza.

She left, grabbing her scouter and sighing. Berryblue ordered Zarbon to finish the paperwork on Raditz and ensure that he receives his punishments.

The door closed and Zarbon was trying hard not to hold back from exploding.

"Raditz. You haven't even been here for an hour and you've already made an awful impression!"

The boy looked down, knowing his master was right.

"How much simpler can it be?! This was your brand-new chance at success, all you had to do was keep your head down, but I suppose your **little monkey brain** is incapable!" Zarbon leant over the desk, his fury totally new to Raditz who had a dejected look, his tail puffing in fear.

"I'm very sorry, sir...I--I won't do it again, I promise!" He glanced up at his master, staring right into his fierce golden eyes. Zarbon's frown softened, eventually becoming a warm, innocent smile again.

"Oh, I just can't stay mad at you, can I? Though your race does tend to be **barbaric imbeciles**...I can see that you, my child, are not." He chuckled, and took a tissue from the box on the desk, "You...seem to have chocolate sauce on your jumper, Radittsu."

Raditz nervously laughed as he aimlessly picked at the dried fudge sauce, that seemed to have fused with his jumper. Zarbon snooped through the file, and decided to change Raditz's punishments, ever so slightly.

"All you need to do, my mischievous student, is verbally apologise to Miss Croe, and at lunch..I may pull a few strings.."

Raditz leaned in, waiting patiently as his master took a moment to think.

"Yes..I think today will be our first training session! And…I will be sure to teach you how to be a disciplined soldier, as well as etiquette! Doesn't that sound **lovely**?"

Raditz thought it was better than sitting in detention, bored out of his mind so he agreed, Zarbon, again, making decisions for him, a supposedly great offer he couldn't refuse.

Zarbon led him to his class, the sound of his shoes as they hit the floor, somewhat unsettling.

Raditz wasn't sure if he could fully trust Zarbon, yet anticipated their training together, hoping the facilities were adequate here, and that he'd be able to get a headstart over the rest of his class.

_'Class 3L. Even the door looks super boring.'_The door had the class name, and nothing else but purple paint on it, which was chipping off. The other classes had some decorative aspects on their doors, but this one?

He soon found out why, when he caught sight of Miss Croe, her beady eyes as observant as the scouter she had taken off him.

Raditz reluctantly entered, but let out a sigh of relief when he saw a seat at the back towards the window next to Zaffra. He strode confidently towards the back, as Zarbon and the bird teacher had one of those whispery '_grown-up talks_', as Raditz called them.

However, before Raditz could take a seat, Miss Croe insisted he sit at the very front so that she could "keep an eye on him", though the boy thought that was easy enough for her, since her eyes were almost popping out of her hideous face, and were most likely all seeing like a crystal ball.

Zarbon exited, giving Raditz a short goodbye wave.

The Saiyan boy put his bag on the back of his chair and propped his head up with his hands, as Miss Croe blabbered on about rules and expectations, repeating most of what the Headmistress had already said.

'_This is going to be a long day…'_ Raditz thought to himself, wishing for the clock's hands to move faster.

He never understood how on TV they made it out like school was fun and "the best years of your life", yet something in him was determined to make it so.


	10. An Awfully Annoying Academy

**Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of its characters kiddies****also Haryana is my friend's character dw i got permission****well done weary reader, you have made it to chapter 10! in these dark times and for your support you will all receive a virtual cupcake from little vegeta!****enjoy kiddies and remember to comment stuff, ask questions idk just say hi to me im lonely**

* * *

"Now, turn to page 3 of your textbook, copy down the information in the red box and answer the questions!"

Raditz groaned and opened the book.

_'Could this get any worse?' _The children in the room talked to each other, getting to know who they would be stuck next to. Raditz had no one sat beside him, and the people behind him ignored him. It didn't matter, however, since Miss Croe screeched at them to be silent at once and no one dared to defy her.

Raditz decided as part of his apology, and to keep himself motivated that he would finish the work before anyone else. He frantically scribbled into his fresh notebook, not wasting a second.

"Miss, I'm done!" Raditz exclaimed, putting his hand up, and the other kids looked surprised. They expected a Saiyan like him to be imbecilic. Even Miss Croe almost gagged on her coffee when he said it.

"Hmm..." She inspected his work with those freakish eyes and Raditz sat up straight, acting innocent and staying quiet and composed, like Berryblue and had Zarbon told him.

"Tsk..your handwriting is atrocious! I can hardly read it! And you haven't answered in full sentences, so do it again." She casually ripped the page out of his book, crumpled it up, and tossed it in the trash, ruining Raditz's new book.

Raditz was holding back his anger, and murmured to himself some vulgar things in his native language, as he once again wrote everything out, taking more care with his presentation, though he didn't see the point.

_'Is she so stupid, she can't read properly?!'_ Raditz decided that it was so, there was nothing wrong with his writing, and even if there was, it wasn't his fault.

"Miss, I've finished!"

The boy with sparks flying around him had gotten done before him, and he felt something he never had before.

"This is wonderful! What's your name? I shall log a house point on the system for you." She went back to sit at her desk.

"Sparkz. Haryana Sparkz." He bared a toothy grin, his teeth sparkling, and people whispered to each other.

_'Haryana Sparkz? I hate him already.' _Raditz sensed some familiarity in his name but shook it off, he was clouded by animosity aimed towards Haryana.

On Planet Vegeta, Raditz was the smartest in his class, it was the only thing he was praised for, well, only when he could be bothered to behave and do the work.

'_Don't worry! It's only because he has fancy, sissy-like writing that he's got a house point!'_ Raditz reassured himself.

The bell rang and the children were all dismissed row by row, all except Raditz, who had to make his apology.

_'This'll be easy, I'm the best at fake apologies!'_

Raditz knew how easy it was to act heartfelt and sincere, people were so easily convinced that he was regretful, sometimes it was hilarious how foolish they were.

"Do you have anything to say to me, Radittsu?"

_'First of all, bitch, you ain't got the authority to call me that! And second, what kinda idiotic question is that?!'_ Raditz sighed, _'kidding, just said that in my head'_ Then he prepared himself, putting on his well-trained act.

"I'm very sorry, Miss Croe." He said morosely, then hung his head and did his best to sound solemn.

"And what are you sorry _for_, boy?" Raditz hated the way she spoke, patronising him as if he were just some ordinary child; her foul coffee breath hanging in the air.

He was tempted to say _'Nothing, you evil bitch!'_ then run out and find Haryana, then beat him in a pulp whilst people cheered for him, including his prince, and he'd be such a hero!

"Radittsu!" She snapped, leaving Raditz a little disoriented. He despised when people snatched him out of his daydream like that.

"Huh, what?" He looked up at her hideousness, and wished he didn't.

"You mean to say pardon, yes?" She bent down, her beady eyes menacingly staring at him.

"Oh, sorry." Raditz said, forgetting he was already supposed to be apologising for something else.

"Miss Croe, I am sorry for being rude to you-"

"Multiple times." She interrupted, now being the impolite one.

Raditz continued, trying to speed things up so he could go to break, "It will not happen ever again, I promise!"

"Good. You are dismissed." She seemed desperate to make him leave, more so than he wanted.

_'That went better than I thought.'_ Raditz thought as he smugly strided down the hallway and onto the playground.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Saiyan Prince sitting on a bench alone, watching some other children play tag. Raditz sat beside him.

"Leave me alone, clown!" His prince got up and stormed off, but Raditz caught up.

"Hey! I'm trying to help!" Raditz folded his arms in annoyance and Vegeta scoffed.

"Help?! Firstly, I don't need your help. Secondly, your help earlier was so amazing wasn't it?! Now I'm associated with you! Thank you so much, Raditz, I'm so glad you're here to _'help me'_!" The Prince's mocking tone hurt Raditz, but he didn't let it show.

"You happy now?!" The prince zoomed off again and Raditz did not follow him.

Raditz didn't really know where to go now. The Saiyan boy wandered around, and then realised he was at the wrong playground. _'Shit, no wonder I'm taller than everyone here.'_

He went back through the hall and came out on the other side. The older kids were more menacing and gave him strange looks, yet it didn't matter because Zaffra and La'tei were around. Zaffra was facing the opposite direction, and was too busy talking to some other kids to notice Raditz.

_'Hehe! The perfect opportunity!'_ He **did** promise to get her back for pulling his tail, after all.

What could he do?

Lift her skirt?

No, pulling up her skirt felt wrong, his mother would hate him for that.

Snatch her bag? Nah, she'd feel that before he could pull it off.

She was talking to someone, twirling her hair coquettishly like before.

_'Aha!'_ Raditz thought sneakily, being a better ninja than before, crept up behind her. She was sitting on a wall, with some other kids, who didn't spot the Saiyan.

"OW!" She exclaimed and Raditz came up from behind laughing hysterically. Even some of the other kids laughed, especially when she slapped him.

"Raditz! It's rude to do that to a lady!" She yelled at him, her face a burning red, like her hair.

"But you aren't a lady!" He had another fit of giggles and didn't notice a boy coming up in front of him with an intense look.

"Hey, didn't anyone teach you how to treat girls?!" Haryana had him trapped against a wall, his friends behind him.

"Jeez! We were only messin' around, she's my friend!" Raditz wouldn't let himself be intimidated, he stood tall and confident as he made his argument.

"Well actually, she likes me more, so if you ever touch her again..." He raised a clenched fist, sparks shooting out of it.

"I'm not afraid of you! How strong can you be? You're clearly a low-class since you're with us!"

Raditz had angered the boy and he would suffer for it.

Haryana swung at him and Raditz couldn't even take a defensive stance, the other boy was so fast!

"Stop it!" Zaffra saw what was happening and shoved Haryana, preventing his attack. She must have pushed him harder than intended, since the boy fell to the ground.

Zaffra apologised and extended her hand. He brushed her hand away as he got up.

"What's wrong with you, Zaffra?! I was defending you!"

Haryana stood away from both children, who were still against a wall, his group of friends moving back too, like sheep being rallied by a dog. Zaffra's friends, in utter shock, sat where they were, quietly observing.

Zaffra walked towards Haryana.

"Well, I can defend myself! And I don't wanna be friends with someone who hurts other people."

"You idiot! He's a Saiyan, he's much worse, he probably killed **millions** last month!" Haryana didn't come forward, instead he moved back further.

"Well...he isn't a complete asshole like you!"

Everyone was astonished, taken aback by her words.

Zaffra; a timid, courteous girl had called someone such a thing, which was obviously unexpected by all of the others, including Raditz, who Zaffra proceeded to drag off.

They walked back through the halls together, Raditz too confused to form a single word to say to her. Zaffra didn't say anything either.

* * *

The next lesson was as monotonous as the first, though Raditz noticed other children whispering to each other and passing notes. Raditz didn't know if he was just being paranoid, or if people were talking about him, but decided to ignore it all and try to concentrate on his work.

He began reading out the question in his head:

_'Ok...question 4: A type of power booster multiplies power levels by 5. Melan has a power level of-'_

Raditz felt a small object hit him, sending a jolt through his body. He looked around and saw nothing, so continued, concluding it was nothing but his own imagination.

_'Melan has a power level of 1050. What will it be after she uses the-'_

Once again, something had struck him. This time it hurt a bit more.

Raditz took a deep breath and told himself to focus. As he was doing the calculation a larger thing hit his tail.

"OW!" He yelped, forgetting where he was.

The class laughed at him, all except Zaffra.

Even La'tei snorted with laughter, it was if everyone was in on some joke he wasn't.

Miss Croe shut her book, the sound shutting everyone up.

"Radittsu, if you're going to be disruptive, you will be sent out!"

The long haired Saiyan child did not see how exclaiming in pain due to another student was disruptive. Upon inspection of the floor, he saw paper balls, charged with electricity. Raditz turned and saw Haryana smirking, paper balls on his lap ready to be thrown.

"Miss, if you're going to send anyone out it should be Haryana!" Raditz hated the idea of being a snitch but he thought that Haryana deserved punishment.

"Oh, and why is that? Haryana is working exceptionally!"

Raditz saw him grinning smugly, and shouted, "He's been throwing paper balls at me!"

Miss Croe got up out of her seat and checked the floor.

"Radittsu, there's nothing there!" She growled, in annoyance.

"What?!" Raditz definitely saw them. No one else had moved, so how where had they gone?

Miss Croe sat back down and opened up her book. Before reading, she sighed, "Radittsu, you _do_ have a history of lying, don't you? Isn't it time to grow up?"

_'Grow up?! Yeah, sure, being a loser-ish, boring old crone is waaaayyy better than being a kid!'_

Raditz went back to work, Haryana still tormenting him. Raditz moved his tail out of the way, and at one point flicked one of the balls back at him, but it didn't affect his enemy at all.

The bell rang again, signalling that it was time for one of Raditz's favourite times of the day: lunch.

Well, it would have been, except he had to go to Zarbon. Miss Croe shook her head as she saw Raditz leaving.

As he went down the hallway, a thought crossed the young boy's mind. _'What if Zarbon has yummy food for me again!?' _He thought about that wonderful meal, which felt like it had happened a long time ago, and his mouth salivated.

Raditz wasn't quite sure where he was meant to go, but luckily his master saw him wandering near the foyer.

"Ah, Raditz! How was your morning?"

"Well-" It was rather loud in the halls and Zarbon seemed to be in a rush, so his question was never fully answered.

"Oh, that's lovely, now let's go on and get started, shall we?"

Zarbon led him into a seperate building, which he was told was for training, and had a separate area for where punishments would take place. They walked past the yard and Raditz saw some older years carrying heavy weights as they ran around a track.

_'I wonder what **they** did…'_

"Here we are!"

Zarbon pulled open a door, which let them into a training facility.

"Uh...Master Zarbon? What about my armour?"

"Armour? Oh, yes, you still need to be given it! Silly me!"

Zarbon stared at the boy for a minute, creeping Raditz out a little. The teal skinned alien went and returned with armour that was supposed to fit the boy.

_'How the fuck can he know my size just by **looking**?!'_

"Here you go! I hope I got it right..if it doesn't fit properly tell me, I'll get another."

Raditz stared at the armour that was placed below him. The shoulder pads were like his old armour, and the main colours of the armour were purple and green, with red on some parts of the shoes, to tell class from class, Raditz supposed. The Frieza Force logo was on the left breastplate and there were also gloves; that Raditz hoped weren't compulsory, he didn't like having his hands covered when fighting. The spandex was black, which Raditz also disliked. He thought the spandex with his armour was too restricting, though he regretted not wearing it sometimes, when he was on a colder planet.

"You can go change over there." Zarbon pointed in some vague direction.

"Don't worry, I'll be setting the room up, I won't look at you." Raditz wasn't sure if he was lying, though a part of him trusted him. The boy had an idea to see if Zarbon was trustworthy or not, since it was bothering him.

"Master? Can I ask you something?" Zarbon, who had already turned to go to the control panel, stopped and looked over his shoulder, smiling a gentle smile, like always.

"Yes, my child?"

Raditz froze, he hadn't actually thought of anything to ask. He noticed Zarbon wasn't wearing a scouter, so he asked, "...is it true..that Frieza spies on us through our scouters?"

Zarbon looked stunned by the audacity the Saiyan child had to inquire about such a thing, even the smile faded from his face for a moment. The general walked over to the boy, and knelt down, the same way he did in the locker room.

"Firstly, Raditz, you must remember to address Lord Frieza formally because we must show our respect."

"...sorry.." Raditz was too busy dealing with his heart racing after he'd asked the question to think about being formal.

"Secondly..I won't lie to you. Scouters are monitored, but it's a measure for safety! Lord Frieza doesn't directly listen to you, no, machines across the universe pick up communication lines. Don't you worry your little head about these things, ok? Though...just remember...it probably would do you some good not to bad-mouth the empire whilst you are on them, yes? Not like you would anyway, would you?"

Raditz shook his head.

"Good! See, it's useful to ask things, and be respectful, isn't it? Now, go and get in your armour, alright?" The boy turned but his master interrupted him.

The man reached into a bag he had brought with him.

"It's one of those nutrient bars, so you don't starve to death!" Zarbon gave him a few and Raditz went off to change, which he did.

Raditz didn't think the armour suited him, but would just have to make do for the time being. Beeps and buzzes echoed in the room, as Zarbon changed various aspects, the conditions starting off relatively bearable.

The taste of the nutrient bars was commendable, though not for having a pleasant flavour, no, it was rather the opposite, which made Raditz ponder_ 'Why do things that aren't good for us taste so nice, but healthy stuff tastes nasty?!'_

Even though the bars did make him feel pretty full, he wanted to check out what kind of food the school served in the cafeteria.

"You ready?" Zarbon came over to him, and commented on his armour, telling the boy how great he looked, as if it would make the boy feel confident.

"Uh...yeah, I guess."

"Good. Now the first thing I want you to do is walk." Raditz raised an eyebrow. He was perplexed, what was the point of seeing him walk?

"Ok..." He walked forward until Zarbon told him to stop.

"You have a gait of a mere peasant child, mostly because that's what you are…but I will change that."

"Sir, what does walking have to do with training?" Raditz walked back over, wondering if his master was going to make him walk with books on his head like in movies.

"The way you carry yourself presents an image of you, and you can change the way you're viewed by simple things." Raditz just stared and blinked at him, not getting at all what he meant.

"Let me think of how to put this…what would you think of someone who walked with their back straight, arms comfortably by their side and with their head tilted up slightly?"

Raditz imagined what that would look like in his head.

"Uh...they are confident?"

"Yes! I want you to give the impression that you are important, higher than your actual station to ensure you are respected. Oh, and you're lucky since you're so tall!"

Raditz thought that this reminded him of a saying they would tell unconfident or nervous children on Planet Vegeta: "If you keep looking down so much, the gods will make your head fall off!" It was something that was meant to be motivational, to ensure kids would hold their heads up in pride, sticking to traditional Saiyan values, although it often made children frightened or feel even worse.

Zarbon made Raditz walk back and forth until he was able to walk with a posture greater than his prince.

Zarbon taught him to bow and kneel properly as well.

"Ok, now rise!"

Raditz got up, trying to remember the exact method his master had taught.

"Very good!" He clapped briefly and continued, "Next time we shall work on formal greetings, but for now you may put your normal uniform on and go to class before the bell rings."

Zarbon went to put the room back into its default state and Raditz stood in bewilderment, as well as sheer annoyance. When Zarbon had said training, he thought it would be actual combat. He knew in movies that often teachers had unusual methods that were akin to everyday chores, but how, in the name of Goddess Salsifie, did bowing and walking help with anything?

"Sir, aren't you going to check my power level or something?" Raditz asked after getting back into his uniform, wanting to know if he had grown over the summer. "Well, for the time being, they are irrelevant, so no. Now, you will come here every lunch time this week, apart from Wednesday, since I'm busy, is that understood?"

"Yes." Raditz picked up his bag that he put against the wall when he arrived.

"Yes, _what_...?" Zarbon's cheery tone held some irritation behind it.

"Yes, sir." Raditz said, rolling his eyes, as Zarbon took his armour, telling him he would keep it safe for the boy, as if Raditz couldn't be trusted with anything at all. Zarbon didn't comment on his student's attitude, and led him back to the other building, before leaving him.

_'Thank the gods, **that's** over.'_

Raditz was relieved that he only had one lesson left, though he didn't expect it to be any better than the first ones. Miss Croe called out the register. It was only day 1 of the academic year, and already the children sounded exhausted as they glumly responded with "Good afternoon."

_'Good afternoon? It's already shit and it's hardly started.'_

After what felt like much too long, the registration was over. "Today, Class we will be learning about the science behind training!" Raditz perked up when he heard that. Science was one of his best subjects, if not the best, and it was linked to something he did often.

_'Now I'll show that asshole, Haryana, who's best!'_

"Ok, now who can tell me some benefits of training?"

Raditz's hand shot straight up into the air.

"Yes, Raditz?"

Finally, something was going his way and he would be back on top where he belonged.

"Well, obviously, training can-"

A siren blared into everyone's ears, and the children covered their ears, though it was useless in stopping the skull-shattering sound from piercing through their brain. Somehow, the teachers' screeching was louder and they commanded the children to silently, single file walk out of the building. Anyone who dared speak were taken aside, and would later receive punishment. Raditz thought it was incredibly unfair, the teachers were allowed to holler at them, though wasn't it normal for children to talk to each other when in close proximity, especially when faced with something new and scary?

Raditz saw Vegeta and caught up to him. He checked carefully around him, and whispered, "What the fuck is happening?" Vegeta said nothing back, obediently doing what he was told, which Raditz thought was unlike the temperamental, bossy prince.

"Vegeta!" Raditz exclaimed, forgetting the situation he was in, once again, and went to follow his prince, who once again had tried to avoid him.

"NO TALKING, OR YOU'LL BE IN DETENTION!" Some teacher's voice boomed, from behind.

Raditz quickly shut up after that. He couldn't bear another second in this hellhole, as soon as the last bell rang; Raditz told himself he'd be the first out of the building. The children, marching, almost in synchronisation, came to the courtyard, where they were put in lines in order of year and status. The teacher for each class called another seemingly endless register, walking along the line and ticking off the names as the children responded.

As if things couldn't be any worse, the clouds in the sky darkened and rumbled. Raditz's long hair, which was a moment ago swaying in the breeze, soon became heavy and wet from the rain that poured. The children grumbled and even the teachers seemed fed up, some asking to end the drill, Raditz overheard.

_'A fire drill? Why can't it be a real fire?!'_ The boy wished for the school to burn down, since it was so pointless. Everything he had done that day amounted to nothing but him ending up in trouble or in a foul mood. The children had to be dismissed, row by row, according to protocol, and had to be completely silent.

Raditz saw Vegeta's class leaving, and thought they looked like proper army soldiers, though many were short. Upon seeing all the children from all years and classes in uniform, standing in rows--afraid to disobey, he felt like he wanted to rebel; to make a change.

It wasn't fair. He thought on Planet Vegeta it was terrible in school, but at least they didn't have to wear uniforms. They had frequent breaks too, most likely because keeping multiple Saiyan children in a room together and forcing them to sit still for over an hour is impossible, and the children were allowed to be actual children sometimes.

Raditz changed his comparison. They weren't like little soldiers, no, they were mindless robots, all of them from youngest to oldest, strongest to weakest, were under someone else's control. Raditz made a promise to himself that day, a promise that he would never be turned into a boring, well-behaved robot and that he'd stop others from becoming like slaves to the adults.

As his line was led back to class by Miss Croe, Raditz had begun to think properly, now that the alarm had been turned off. Raditz was certain that there were sinister things going on in the school, though he had no one to help him find out anything.

_'Looks like I'm gonna have to play detective on my own now!' _He cast his mind back to Planet Vegeta and his friends; all very clever like him, and how he desperately wished they could help him now.

The rest of class, which had been cut short by the drill, was extremely easy to Raditz. He was even able to outdo Haryana; surprising his teacher. Miss Croe informed Raditz that she had kept his scouter and returned it to him at the end of class, making Raditz wonder, _'Zarbon was being weird about using his scouter too, what's the point of having a rule on them, anyway?'_

The bell rang and it felt like a blessing to his ears, though he did have a slight headache from the fire drill. Raditz raced into the courtyard and waited for the other boys at the gate, where Zaffra approached him.

"Hey, Raditz." She stood next to him, away from the children that flooded out of the gates.

"Hey." Raditz smiled, enjoying her presence.

"I'm glad I got to see you again!"

"Yeah, me too." Raditz kept checking in the yard for his friends and turned back to her and asked. "So, where do you live now?"

"Well, I was sent to an orphanage." Raditz gasped, knowing how awful orphanages were. His friend lived in one on Planet Vegeta and she was often neglected.

"Hey, it isn't so bad! You can visit me if you want, someday. What about you?"

"I live in a housing unit, number 13, room 404. I'm waiting for some other guys to go home with, they live there too." Raditz went and looked again, and saw them approaching.

"Oh! You live with La'tei and his brother?"

"Yeah, I-"

The boys came and Vegeta told him to hurry up, which was rich coming from him; seeing as Raditz was the one waiting ever so patiently for them to arrive.

"Is this your girlfriend, Raditz?" Moka giggled, and was reprimanded by his brother. Zaffra and Raditz both went red, and Zaffra nervously said her goodbyes.

"See you tomorrow!" Raditz said as she went and she turned to wave.

The tram ride home felt shorter than before and Raditz did feel some sense of accomplishment. The boys returned to the building and Miss Kafi, being so kind, gave each of them a cupcake to celebrate their first day of school being completed.

"Mom! We aren't babies!" La'tei protested but still found himself eating the cake. Vegeta even ate one, covered in rainbow sprinkles. Raditz thought his Prince looked funny; his mouth had remnants of cream and sprinkles on it though his face remained serious.

"Thank you, Miss Kafi!" Raditz bowed politely as he left. Vegeta said thanks but didn't bow.

As they ascended up the stairs, a savoury aroma filled their nostrils and the boys regretted not saving the cake for later. They pushed the door open and Nappa was at the stove, trying his best to cook the traditional Saiyan dish of Ja'skri. The burly Saiyan had a large bottle of alcohol next to him and Raditz jokingly asked,

"Is that for the Ja'skri, or for you?"

Nappa read the recipe he had written on a scrap piece of paper from memory.

"Uh..I don't remember. Oh well. You two had best get changed into something else before I have another laughing fit lookin' at ya!" Nappa was clearly fighting off laughter when he turned to look at them again.

Raditz was glad his hair had dried, though his uniform had not, but couldn't care, he just desperately wanted some food in him.

"Don't you worry, Prince, my cooking is better than the royal cooks!" Vegeta gave a sceptical look as Nappa ladled the stew into a bowl. Raditz came in and sat beside Vegeta on the couch.

"A hungry, growing boy like you, needs a lot of this, Raditz!" Nappa gave Raditz a plentiful serving. The boy ate a spoonful and coughed when the spice hit the back of his throat.

"See, that? This'll put some hairs on ya chest!" Nappa sat himself down, causing the sofa to sink in the corner he was in. Raditz admitted, the dish wasn't too bad; especially considering the type of person the general was, though it just made him wish he had his mother's cooking.

The afternoon faded into the darkness of the evening, and Raditz hardly realised. He had felt pretty good for the whole evening, until he realised, he had 4 more days until the weekend. Raditz decided to go into his room early and pulled out his notebook from under his pillow. He got to work in writing down useful things about the school, and what he was going to investigate and why exactly he needed to do so. Also, he drew a picture of him slaughtering Haryana, which he was incredibly proud of. Before he went to sleep, he took out the family photo that he put in his notebook and stared at it for a moment.

_'Good night mother, good night father.'_

He wondered if it was stupid or babyish to do that, and guiltily put the photo back, shutting off his emotions before falling asleep.


	11. When Fate Gives You The Middle Finger

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of DBZ or its characters, oki?**_

**yay another chapter for your reading pleasure in these dark times, kiddies!****thank you all for getting this far and I welcome any comments, because i need validation ahahaha****enjoy life :) **

* * *

Tuesday came and went.

Nothing much had happened that day, though La'tei was kinder to Raditz, and had apparently sat with Zaffra. Raditz, on the other hand, was forced to spend his lunch with Zarbon again, where he was taught about how to treat each class station appropriately. Raditz didn't think it was fair that he had to bow to superiors, when almost everyone was above him. Raditz tried to inquire more about the school but Zarbon brushed his questions off, telling the boy that it would _"waste valuable learning time."_

_'I don't see how learnin' to be all fancy is even valuable!' _Raditz thought, not seeing his master's point of view.

The next day, Raditz was almost looking forward to; seeing as it was their first day where some students would have a training session, and Raditz wouldn't have to suffer an hour with Zarbon at noon.

On the tram, Raditz asked La'tei about what their training was like. "I doubt we'll be doing proper training yet; they like to do these tests...to see how good we are, you know?" La'tei answered.

"Oh, I get it!" Raditz was looking forward to this even more now, he remembered these tests on Planet Vegeta and how he would do so well, even the middle-class children were in awe.

"Hmph! They already know the power of us elites, so what's the point?!" Vegeta grumbled, his eyebrows furrowed after hearing about the tests. Although, Raditz noticed his expression was often grumpy anyway.

La'tei shrugged, unable to answer Vegeta, and Moka looked noticeably worried.

"What if…what if I fail?!" Moka asked, hoping his brother could put his fears to rest.

"Don't worry…it isn't like a proper graded test. It's just so that your teacher can see how well you do now, compared to next time! You won't be in trouble if you do bad, so just calm down, alright?" La'tei was very reassuring, and for some reason Raditz gazed out of the window, not wanting to hear their brotherly conversation anymore. The Saiyan boy glanced up into the sky; wondering if in the cosmos beyond it, his little brother was safe.

Once they arrived, they went their separate ways. Vegeta left for his class without a goodbye, and Moka, though reluctant to leave his brother's side, was more confident today and walked to his class alone. La'tei and Raditz made their way to their classroom and were registered after the bell. Miss Croe informed them of which students were going to do the physical test and where. Their year had to go in within an hour, so during the whole of the first lesson, Raditz was filled with excitement.

_'I bet I'll be the best! Not even Haryana can match the skills of a Saiyan!'_

After the bell, the group of children were taken downstairs by an instructor, who showed them to where the test would take place. As Raditz and La'tei were leaving, Zaffra said good luck and Haryana, hearing her, scoffed and shoved in front of the boys to get out of the door before they could.

They were taken to the changing rooms first and received their armour. Raditz felt like the odd one out, as a result of his master giving his armour before the rest, since he was the only one who had worn it before.

The changing rooms were large and had showers, and were also rather pristine. The other children messed around, even after being scolded not to. Raditz got changed in a corner away from them all, being careful of what he did with his tail, in case anyone tried to pull it again like in his old school. Eventually they were taken out again and led around the school building to the arena.

All of the children training to be soldiers in Raditz's year group were separated by class and sat in rows on the seats facing a large space, which was the arena. Raditz thought it was going to be like a gladiator movie, the heroic splendour of them sent the boy into one of his fanciful daydreams. He sat relatively near the front next to La'tei and the chattering of those around them was soon silenced by Zarbon.

"Welcome, our young soldiers! I'm so glad to see you all again, with plenty of new faces here! I bet it must feel good, being one of the big kids now?" He chuckled and continued, "Today's test will be slightly different from the ones you've done before! Our gracious Lord Frieza, has noted that many soldiers in today's army just… aren't as _durable_ as he would like them to be...so today we will be doing an endurance test!" The feminine commander clapped his hands together, his tone making the test seem more pleasant than it really was.

"We will start with the elite children!" Zarbon motioned a hand for them to be brought forth. They stood in a long line in the arena, facing the crowd.

'I really hope I don't have to do this in front of the elite kids...they'll all laugh at me!' A bad past experience ran through Raditz's mind, but it was interrupted by Zarbon telling them what they'd be doing, which was essentially press-ups until they dropped from exhaustion.

They got into a position and Zarbon pressed the button on his stopwatch as he told them to begin. Whole solid minutes passed before even a single child dropped. It was an impressive sight to the other weaker children, and Raditz couldn't deny his own jealousy. Soon it became clear that a lot of them were tiring, but they were competitive, the boys especially and it was taking them a lot of time for them to manage one press-up. As they fell to the floor, Zarbon called out times for each to remember and they sat resting, watching their friends continue. Some began cheering and the crowd did too, although it was obvious how bitter some children were.

Eventually, the last boy was told to stop and once all the children got up they were given a score card to record their results. Thankfully, the elite children were sent off, once they returned the cards and the middle classes were called down.

Just like before, it took a few minutes for them to start dropping. Some were evidently stronger than others, though none were as good as the elites. Their round was over quicker, and Raditz was glad about that. He had waited long enough to show what he was capable of.

They placed themselves neatly in a row like the others did before. Haryana came next to Raditz. As he positioned himself, Haryana cockily stated, "You haven't got a clue how strong I am! I'll win without a doubt, I'll do more press-ups than anyone!"

Raditz growled but kept his focus. He decided he wouldn't look at Haryana, or anyone else for that matter, since they were only distractions.

Zarbon called for them to begin. Raditz paced himself, knowing it was always a terrible idea to give too much effort at the start. _'This is so easy! I could do this forever!' _His arms didn't appear to be very defined in terms of muscles, but were exceptionally powerful for a child of his age. Raditz forgot his own promise, he turned to La'tei beside him who was struggling slightly. He didn't know how long it had been since he started, and his arms were beginning to ache a little. Though, when he saw Haryana, with his arms moving rhythmically like industrial pistons, at an impressive speed like that of the middle class; or even some elite soldiers, Raditz knew he couldn't give up.

After what felt like an eternity, some people started to falter and drop. La'tei was soon unable to continue, though his time was still quite impressive.

"C'mon Raditz! You can beat these bastards!" La'tei's words of encouragement inspired some strength back into the Saiyan boy. _'It's like my arms are like jelly! I doubt I'll be able to move them after this shit, but I've come too far to lose!'_

Raditz's fury overcame pain, it was only fair that he won, right? Good always beat evil, didn't it? And Haryana was certainly evil, in his eyes anyway.

The boy wondered how hard training here was and something about it reminded him of torture. The boys he saw being punished the other day looked like they had been in quite a lot of pain, perhaps even worse than what he was suffering.

Many more children stopped, soon only Raditz, who was faltering a little now, and Haryana who also was having difficulties remained. Zarbon smirked, very pleased by the willingness and strength of his own student, as well as the others. The commander wanted to spur Raditz on but didn't want to make it seem like he was favouring him, though internally he was.

Raditz was sweating profusely, the same for Haryana.

His arms wobbled as he moved them, the pain excruciating now, but he knew how to act like he was fine. Showing such a thing was weak, and Raditz was determined not to be. Haryana wasn't ready to give up._ 'Ugh! This must have been nothing to the elites, it isn't fair! I'm strong enough, I really am…I have to be!'_

One of his arms gave out, and the other couldn't support his weight. Raditz fell flat on his face, certain he heard something akin to a crunch of a bone, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

Haryana had won.

The other kids cheered and clapped, except for Raditz, who's vision had gone hazy, and he knew with a faint sense that he was going to pass out.

* * *

"Raditz! How stupid can you get?!" A man yelled at him, like always.

"Papa?" Raditz sat up. There was nothing else in the room where he was, just an empty void with him and his father.

"Well who else is it, dumbass?!"

"You're dead…" Raditz was perplexed, where was he? How was his father talking to him? Was he dead?!

"How the fuck can I be dead?! I'm talking to you right now, in your bedroom!" Raditz looked down, his father was somehow right, he was sitting in his bed, everything was the way he left it: messy and perfect.

"Oh, sorry papa…it's just-" Raditz needed to know if this was real or not.

"What, did you hit yourself on the head or somethin'?! 'Cause boy, you're bein' weird as fuck today!" Bardock took a gulp from a beer bottle and glared at his son.

"Papa…I'm-"

"Yes, darlin', I know. You're a failure." Bardock's fake loving tone and expression, combined with Raditz's confusion was enough to make tears form in the child's eyes, and he hated it.

"W-what?!" Raditz bit his lip to prevent tears from falling from his eyes, to no avail.

"You heard me. I watched every moment of your pathetic display of press-ups. You disgraceful brat…" Bardock looked at the boy in disgust.

"Why wasn't it enough for you?! I did my best, and Mama says that's what counts!" Raditz exclaimed, the tears trailing down his round cheeks.

"But you aren't the best. You let that bastard beat you!" Raditz cried harder remembering his defeat and Bardock slapped him.

"Stop crying like a little bitch, or I'll give ya somethin' to cry about!"

Raditz flinched as Bardock waved his fist near his face, threatening the child.

"Papa…please, please forgive me!" Raditz pleaded.

"I'll tell you what you need to do now, to earn my forgiveness! Get yourself together, boy, train harder, and _wake the fuck up!_"

"Papa, I-I don't understand!"

"Wake up, Raditz!"

The voice changed and the room faded back to black, and then into something else.

"Huh? Wha-" Raditz's vision was still a little hazy but he realised he was in school, in what seemed to be a nurse's office and he soon recalled what had happened. _'Damn it…'_

"Oh, goodness, you gave us all a scare, Raditz!" Zarbon sighed with relief. Raditz slowly sat up, and drank some water from a cup given by his master.

"It really would have been a shame to have a student die so early into the year…" Zarbon said lowly.

_'I wonder how many have died here…'_ Raditz thought to himself, putting down the cup on the table in front of him. Glancing down at himself he noted his armour had some blood on it, and he noticed how strange it felt when he drank, his sensitive nose picked almost nothing up from the room. Raditz lifted his hand to touch it and winced. Not only did his arms ache, but his nose stung.

"You fell on your face and broke your nose…"

_'Great. Just fucking great.' _Raditz sighed, in his head asking the gods why he deserved to suffer like this.

"Does this mean I can go home?" Raditz pleaded, using a sorrowful expression to encourage his master to say yes. Sure, in the housing unit, he'd have to put up with Nappa mocking him, but it was better than the rest of his class making fun of him.

"Well…I think you can soldier it out for the rest of the day, it isn't so bad!" Raditz slumped against the wall, his legs dangling from the hospital bed he was on.

"Besides, you did so well, all your friends will be so proud! In fact, I may give prizes to the top 3 in each class! There, doesn't the promise of delicious chocolate make you want to stay?" Zarbon's voice was silky smooth, like velvet as he persuaded the boy. Although Raditz _did_ enjoy chocolate, he would still prefer to go home.

"But…I didn't do well! I didn't win and I was so close!"

"Oh, come on! Winning isn't everything…plus, it gives you motivation to be better!" Raditz despised those words. He remembered how those so-called _'inspirational words'_ were spoken to him by his mother, and at first it was encouraging but there was only so many times_ "Maybe next time you'll win" _and _"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!"_ could be said before Raditz realised those words had been said to him more times than _"Congratulations! You win!"_ , which was what he had been desperately longing for his whole life.

"…I never win _anything_." Raditz mumbled, wallowing in self-pity, looking down at his shoes. "That's why I'm training you…so that can change." His master smiled at him; his golden eyes seemingly full of sympathy.

"Why?" Raditz needed to ask something that had bothered him for a long time, more so than the scouters. "Why did you pick me?" Raditz demanded an answer. "You could have picked anyone to be your student, and you've had students before…what happened to them?! Did they fail? Did...did they die?!"

Raditz's heart raced; his mind torn in two, one half believing Zarbon and what he said, the other not at all trusting him. Either way, he was curious and needed to know more about Zarbon.

"My, my…you are very inquisitive, aren't you?" The commander laughed and continued, "Why do the gods choose prophets?" Raditz didn't know what to say to that, but once again asked about Zarbon's former pupils, to which the man replied, "What good does talking about the past do? You could talk about your planet all you want, but it won't come back!"

Raditz scoffed, dejected. Why couldn't he find the answers he sought?

"Now, it's almost break time, so you may go to the changing rooms to put your normal uniform on, don't worry, there'll be someone to clean the blood off of your armour." Raditz slowly got off of the bed, his head feeling quite strange. "Oh, I also suggest you eat one of these. You lost a bit of blood and you did work yourself to exhaustion, after all." Zarbon handed one of those nutrient bars, in the only flavour Raditz found to be the least abhorrent: Chocolate and Iopaya fruit.

The boy headed off, and to his surprise, didn't get lost in the school's long narrow corridors, which all were noticeably similar and repetitive, and reminded Raditz of a maze.

The changing room was left unlocked, luckily for Raditz, none of his belongings had been stolen, unlike his victory over Haryana. The downtrodden boy decided to drag himself over to the mirror. _'It's already got a crack in it…probably from when Haryana looked at it!'_ Raditz made himself laugh for a second, but couldn't avoid the fact that the bandage on his nose took up half his face and the swelling was pretty bad close to it. _'I'm surprised this mirror hasn't broken into little pieces because of me.'_

_"Well, well, well, what have we here?"_ It was his reflection again, bothering him, just as always.

"Shut up." Raditz didn't bother to look at him, instead he stretched his aching arms and winced.

_"You're such a baby, you can't even take just a little pain!"_ The boy in the mirror just had to piss him off.

"Shut up!" Raditz snapped at him.

_"What's wrong, Raditz? You never talk to me…and there's no-one around to hear…"_ The enticing voice sounded just like his; but something was very off about him, and the same could be said for its movements, it didn't fully mirror what Raditz was doing.

"Because I hate you!" Raditz yelled, immediately looking around to see if anyone heard outside.

_"Mama said not to hate yourself, though, didn't she?"_ The reflection laughed, winding him up.

"But you **aren't** me. Now, go away!" Raditz attempted to assert what little authority he had and the reflection only grinned and said,

"_You may believe that all you want...but deep down you **know** what you are. Hey…I have an idea!"_ Raditz snarled at him but had nothing to say back.

"_Let's kill Haryana...and don't be a pussy and tell me it's wrong, or that you don't want to…because I know you do. Besides…we never got to kill Brasca on Planet Vegeta. Are you **really** gonna let pricks like that stand in our way?" _

Raditz had enough of him and turned to leave as the bell rung. _'What if…he's right? Should I... **murder** Haryana?'_ The young boy's mind was racing as he was still shaken up by the encounter with his reflection but soon went off to find Zaffra, ignoring the looks he got from other children.

"Raditz, are you ok?!" She said as soon as she saw him, running up to him and grabbing his hand, but he shook her off. "Do I look ok to you?!" He hadn't realised how rude he was being, until he saw her hurt expression when she pulled back.

"Hmph!" Zaffra pouted. "So much for me helping you!" She turned and walked off, her tight curls bouncing up and down as she did so. "Hey, wait!" Raditz caught up and grabbed her by the arm, causing her to swiftly turn around. "What is it?!" She asked, still angry at him.

"I'm sorry, I'm just angry because this day's been so shitty!" He bellowed, furiously kicking a bin, which other students saw but ignored, hoping not to end up like the dented bin. "And it ain't even lunchtime yet!" He huffed and prepared to kick the bin again but was stopped by Zaffra.

"Woah, I probably wouldn't do that! If someone tells on you, you'll be in a ton of trouble...and then your day would get even worse!" She reasoned with him, pulling him away from the bin that toppled over, the rubbish in it pouring out onto the floor.

"So?! _Let them_ tell on me! Then, I can beat up a real person!" Raditz chuckled in a sinister way, bloodlust running through him, his Saiyan blood screaming for him to destructively get rid of his rage.

"Raditz, we both know you're weak from the test! Haryana is too, he almost passed out like you did afterwards! Let's go hang outside, La'tei's waiting for us."

Raditz went with her and calmed down. They sat on the bench together and chatted idly, whilst Raditz ate the nutrient bar, which did make him feel better. Eating tended to improve his mood, since it was so pleasurable. "Raditz, you were so good!" La'tei exclaimed. "Thanks…" Raditz smiled, playing with his tail as he felt like he wanted the conversation to stop.

"Yeah, I thought for sure you were gonna win!" His laughter ceased after he saw the offended look upon Raditz's face.

"Yeah. Well, clearly you thought wrong!" Raditz got up and went to class, the others following. La'tei explained that he didn't mean it like that, to which Raditz sighed, "I know…It's just-"

"Hey, look it's loser-I mean Raditz!" Haryana taunted him as he came down the hallway. The Saiyan was ready to strike him, but was held back by La'tei and Zaffra. "Wow! So funny!" The girl sarcastically stated.

"Yeah, it's better than your pathetic, broken mess of a sister…oh, that's right! She couldn't stand seeing you, and decided to get splattered on the tracks my daddy owns!"

_'Wait…his dad owns it?' _Raditz recalled the name of the tram company. _'Sparkz Transportation…makes sense now.'_

Zaffra's eyes watered and she ran off crying.

"You heartless **bastard**!" Raditz flew out of La'tei's grasp and delivered a harsh blow to Haryana's jaw, knocking him back, and sending him flying into a wall.

Raditz was surprised he even _had_ that much strength left in him, and so were the children around him. Haryana got up, stumbling a little and launched his attack. He moved so fast, he was hardly visible to Raditz, yet the young Saiyan somehow moved out of the way by instinct. Before Haryana could charge up a ki blast, the bell rang and Miss Croe opened the door, welcoming her students in. All the children immediately got into a straight line as they were allowed in, saying the same formal greeting as they did so.

_'Just like robots…'_ Raditz thought as he entered his dull classroom. _'It's like I'm in some fucking prison!'_ The boy sat, getting on with his work, wondering why any of this information needed to be learnt. He highly doubted knowing the formula to find the area of a rectangle would help in any way in real life, so what was the point?

Raditz heard whispers behind him, but knew they were nothing out of the ordinary, it was usually kids passing notes between each other. The most unusual thing however; was that someone had finally passed him a note. Raditz, who sat rather close to Miss Croe, was very careful in opening the folded piece of paper quietly. He smoothed out the crumples in the paper as soundlessly as possible and read the note:

_'Meet me at Lachee Park today after school…I promise you you'll have more broken bones than just your nose after I beat you in battle! If you decide to be a coward and not show up, I'll reveal your secret to everyone tomorrow morning!__-Haryana Sparkz'_

Raditz crumpled up the note in his hands and turned to look at Haryana, who had a malicious grin on what the other girls called a 'handsome face'.

_'Secret?! What could he possibly know about me?!'_

Raditz shifted in his uncomfortable chair and turned to glance at Zaffra, hoping to stop his uneasiness, but he only became more distraught when he found her seat to be empty.

Raditz turned to the other side of the room where La'tei sat and mouthed to him "Where's Zaffra?!", to which La'tei shrugged his shoulders, not understanding Raditz. The Saiyan rolled his eyes and asked again slower, making sure what he was saying was clear, but again La'tei didn't understand. Raditz was going to try again but Miss Croe scolded him, "Eyes on your own work! Breaking your nose is no excuse for not quietly working on your tasks!" Some of the class began to whisper, the children who were there to witness the incident telling the others. Raditz slumped in his seat and did his work to get his mind off of everything else until at last, the bell for lunch sounded and he could leave.

Raditz made his way to the dining hall with La'tei where he could finally ask about the whereabouts of Zaffra. "How am I meant to know?" Answered La'tei.

"Maybe she's already in the dining hall?" The boys entered the room, already bustling with other children, since the younger kids went to lunch 15 minutes before.

Raditz sniffed the air, the food's aroma comforting him, though the action of doing so hurt his nose.

"Hey, let's go over there, Moka has a table saved for us!" La'tei dragged him over to his smiling brother and they greeted each other before getting in the line, which luckily hadn't gotten too long yet. The room was loud, and Raditz heard some teacher on the other side of the room scolding some mischievous older boys and made them take a bag each to collect rubbish from other children. Raditz noticed how warm it was in the room too, yet he ignored his discomfort as he approached the front of the queue and read the menu.

_'Roasted Hartebeest and veg! Vilren curry! Ooh, Urreamquat cake!'_ Raditz's eyes widened in pure delight. Some foods were new to the boy but looked exciting. _'Oh yeah, I'm totally having that too!'_ Raditz was busy making a mental list of what he wanted until Vegeta ordered him to hurry up from outside the queue, already carrying a full tray, some items of food even stacked atop others.

"I want to sit down! **Now**!" Raditz explained that he couldn't exactly make the line move faster and that Vegeta could sit next to Moka.

"Again?! Why should I?! I don't want to sit with your loser friends near some bins, let's sit somewhere else!"

Raditz was quite surprised that his prince wanted to sit with him at all, but thought it was a good idea for him to hear about Haryana, so that he could help him.

"Vegeta, there's nothing wrong with my friends. If you don't like them, go sit with your _own_ friends!" Raditz sighed, and then asked the dinner lady for everything, with extra helpings. The old tired woman serving him muttered something like, "Oh, God, not another Saiyan…" but Raditz's senses weren't focused on her, but more on the amount of food being heaped onto his tray. Raditz soon got out of the line and Vegeta reluctantly followed him and La'tei back to where Moka was sat, happily munching on his meal.

"Just so you know, I don't like any of you! I just have to sit here due to a lack of space, so don't get the wrong idea!" The Prince huffed and ate his meal using excellent table manners, whilst Raditz devoured his food. It wasn't too amazing, especially compared to the Saiyan food on his planet that was served at school, but it made for a pleasant change. Recently, all he had been eating was those tasteless bars and whatever concoction Nappa could scrape together, though sometimes it was just best for them to eat cheap things from convenience stores that could be easily made. Raditz could cook quite well, he had been taught by his mother, but decided if he showed his comrades what a fabulous cook he was, they would force him to cook all the time.

"Hey, Zaffra!" Raditz called out to the disheveled girl who had walked in, his mouth half full with food.

She walked over quickly and sat in front of Raditz, her head held down. "What's wrong?" He asked, wondering about where she had been. "Nothing..." Zaffra spoke quietly. "Well…why don't you get somethin' to eat? This food ain't half bad, and it'll make you feel better!" Raditz suggested, but the girl sat scrunched together, biting her lip nervously. "I'm fine."

"Where were you, Zaffra? We were worried!" La'tei chimed in, also clearly concerned, whilst Moka seemed confused, and Vegeta rolled his eyes. "I went to the counselor, after.."

"After that bastard was so awful to you!" La'tei exclaimed, clearly as angry at Haryana as Raditz.

"Well, yeah…I'm sorry for just leaving like that…" Zaffra apologised, her eyes still blurry from crying.

"Don't worry 'bout it, Zaf'!" Raditz reassured her after shovelling a chunk of cake in his mouth, then pulled the crumpled note out of his pocket and read what it said aloud.

"Raditz, you're in no condition to fight!" La'tei stated the obvious, and Moka trembled with fear.

"You must! I won't let one of my own kind run like some coward!" Vegeta commanded, making Raditz's predicament all about himself; in the bratty way that the others had come to expect of him.

"It isn't like he can avoid it… he says he knows a secret about him!" Zaffra inspected the note and she seemed like she had an idea.

"What kinda secret?" Moka asked, curiously.

"I don't know what he's referring to!" Raditz answered quickly, trying to think of what Haryana could know.

"Raditz, you can tell us! We're your friends, right?" Zaffra smiled and stared at him with glittering eyes, and Raditz realised what Haryana might know.

He couldn't tell them. He just couldn't.

"Hmph… _I'm not!_" Vegeta huffed and folded his arms but the others ignored him and glanced at Raditz, hoping for him to be honest with them.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what Haryana knows!" Raditz couldn't make himself look directly at any of them.

"Hey… Zarbon is training you, he cares about you, doesn't he?" Zaffra inquired, and Raditz raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I guess so… but what does that have to do with-"

"You idiot, she's saying that you should go and tell him about it!" Vegeta divulged, fed up by Raditz's stupidity.

"Only if you want to be a spineless little snitch, that is."

_'Spineless little snitch?! He's the one who told on me in that training centre!' _Raditz growled at the prince, but stopped and listened to La'tei; who added: "Zarbon would help you, he came running over when you passed out!"

Raditz was considering all of his options. It was seemingly impossible to choose.

"I have to fight him." He sighed and spoke with his fists clenched. "But… Raditz, you don't even have your armour! You're at a massive disadvantage, your punches won't be enough because your arms are weak from earlier, and not to mention, your nose!" La'tei warned, and Zaffra begged for him not to do it. Vegeta held his tongue, which was rather unlike him.

"I know! But I've got no other choice! If I don't show, he'll tell people something about me and never stop bothering me! Zarbon's help wouldn't do anything long term, it'll make it worse! By showing up, at least I show honour… besides… I've had beatings from assholes like him _loads_ of times, this won't be the worst." Raditz wasn't entirely confident in his own words, but he did his best to ensure that his friends didn't worry.

"'Sup losers!"

_'Oh, speak of the motherfucking devil.'_

"Fuck off, Haryana!" La'tei yelled at him, and Haryana's cronies roared with laughter.

"What are you gonna do, get your mom to hit me with a mop?!" Haryana teased, and Moka started to cry.

"Leave us alone!" Raditz bellowed.

"I will… after you tell me if you're going to face me in battle!" Haryana leant over the table and focused on Raditz. "Yeah, and _I'll_ be the victor!" Raditz boasted, more to give himself confidence than to threaten Haryana. "Such bold words…I recall you using them this morning! Seems like that broken nose hasn't deterred you from being so cocky, Saiyan!" The boy's electricity jolted through the table as he pulled away.

"We'll see if you really can beat me in the park, then! I hope Zarbon finds you in a bloodied heap… then he'll realise what a mistake he made in picking you as his personal project!"

With that, Haryana left and it was decided:

Raditz would fight him.

Whether he could win or not was left in the hands of fate.

And fate was often cruel to Raditz.


	12. Sweet VictoryFor Around A Minute

**Disclaimer: cmon you know the thing i cba at this point**

**ok so I know i havent been very consistent with chapters and im sorry, blame school.**

**tomorrow is my one year anniversary of writing this fic.****I gave up after chapter one basically, putting writing off because I was annoyed that no one had read it yet.** **However, I'm glad I perservered and even though the fic hasnt blown up...Im happy that even just one person has gotten this far :)**

**Thank you all for your support!**

**p.s i cant believe people with such great stories read this crap, you people are amazing, all of you!**

* * *

The school day finished, and for once, Raditz didn't want to hear the bell. As much as he denied it, some part of him was afraid-- less so of the injuries, more of the impact that this would have on his reputation. The boy wasn't sure if he could trust Haryana to keep his promise about the secret.

"See ya in the park, loser!" Haryana taunted as he left.

Raditz clenched his fists and held his tongue. His friends panicked around him as they walked out of class together, but Raditz told them to relax. He had some form of plan, at least that's what he told them, anyway. "I'm gonna go put on my armour, the door should still be unlocked." Raditz told them, as he headed to the changing room. "You guys can go ahead, make sure Haryana doesn't think I'm not showing up!" Raditz instructed them, and they reluctantly went on their way. They could only hope Raditz knew what to do.

The Saiyan pushed hard on the door.

"Damn it!" It was locked, and there was no key around.

"Oh, hello Raditz!" Zarbon's pleasant voice startled him, and the boy turned around instantly to greet his master, whilst trying to look as innocent as possible.

"What are you doing here? I would have thought you'd want to go home…your nose not troubling you at all?"

His master quizzed him, but he held it together.

"I... needed my armour, I'm going training today and my armour at home is broken. Do you mind if I wear my school one? I'll bring it back completely undamaged tomorrow!" Raditz lied, convincingly, yet his master seemed concerned.

"Are you _sure_ you should be fighting in such a condition? I don't want anything else to happen to you!" His master warned against training but luckily, Raditz's smooth-talking came to the boy's aid.

"Well, us Saiyans are durable, and you did see it yourself this morning! I thank you for your concern, but I can handle this!" Raditz smiled and stood proudly. "Master, you asked why do gods choose prophets…and I still can't answer that! But I'll prove you made the right choice!"

Zarbon sighed and agreed, "Fine, but promise me you won't exert yourself again!" Raditz nodded and promised the man, though his fingers were crossed behind his back. Zarbon went to get the key, and gave Raditz a painkiller too, which would be much needed. The boy considered taking it now, for the pain in his arms and nose, but decided he'd need it after the fight, not that it was even strong enough to affect a Saiyan's tough body.

Raditz headed in the room to get changed, his armour now completely clean of blood and dirt. He remembered not to look in the mirror this time and exited, his master grinning at him when he did.

_'The note's in my bag… maybe I can tell him!' _

"Hey, Master Zarbon?" Raditz reached into his now much heavier bag, where his uniform was stashed away, with the note inside the pocket.

"Yes, my child?" Raditz glanced up at the man, his heart racing, as the conflict in his mind almost gave him another headache.

"Um…I wanted to give you this…"

From out of his bag, Raditz gave Zarbon the Galactic Zap bar that he had forgotten to eat. "…for being a great master…and for helping me today."

Zarbon forced a delighted expression and nervously chuckled, as he pinched the bar by the wrapper, examining it, dubiously. "Why…thank you, Raditz! How..._lovely_ of you, I…will have it later."

"You're welcome…" Raditz bowed, and left swiftly.

_'I could have done something about Haryana…so why didn't I?!'_ Raditz exited the school gates and followed the signs, as well as the other children in his year who chattered excitedly, to Lachee Park, which hopefully would not in the future be known as the place where he got his ass beat by Haryana Sparkz.

_'And now I can't eat my chocolate bar!'_ Raditz pouted, then shook that thought off; realising there were more important things to be considering at that present moment.

_'I can win this, I'm stronger than I was on Planet Vegeta!' _Raditz was trying his best to be confident in his abilities, though as he strided into the park, a cocky smirk on his face; he was praying to the gods.

"Well, it's about time!" Haryana looked at his fancy watch and then to Raditz, who approached him. The other children stood far away from them, huddled together in a circle, creating a ring around the boys.

"Hmph! Were you so scared, you needed to put on some armour?!" Haryana chortled at his own joke, and his friends joined in too, like it was the funniest thing they had ever heard. "You shouldn't have even bothered; your armour won't protect you from my attacks!"

Raditz rolled his eyes and sighed, "Look, can we just cut the chatter and hurry up? I could be watching my shows right now!"

"Alright, I'll get this done with this quick for you, don't worry! You'll have plenty of time to cry whilst you watch your baby shows!"

Raditz got into his fighting stance and waited for Haryana to do the same. _'God, I can't wait to wipe that smug grin off his face!' _

"You can do this, Raditz!" Zaffra shouted from behind him, and his other friends cheered, except for Vegeta. Seeing the prince added a different type of pressure that Raditz didn't take into account before.

_'I sure hope I can…' _

"I'll let you have the first shot…losers first!" Haryana goaded him. Raditz flew at him, his fist ready to deliver a strong blow, but Haryana had seemingly vanished into thin air.

"Too slow!" Haryana was somehow behind him and he stood normally; which was quite cocky, and left him open to attacks. Raditz swung at him, quicker than before, but he only swiped at the air. Haryana's movements could only be discerned by the sparks of electricity he left behind.

The Saiyan turned around again, but before he could get into a defensive stance, Haryana struck him like a flash of lightning. Raditz used all of his strength to not topple over. Haryana had hit him hard in the shoulder, which he knew would cause a lot of damage, since the arms of both boys were weakened from earlier that morning.

_'Shit, he's super-fast! I gotta be one step ahead if I have any chance!'_ As Raditz devised a plan mentally, Haryana tried to kick him. Raditz caught sight of the electric sparks. They indicated the direction he would move in, and in the nick of time, Raditz managed to fire a ki blast that knocked Haryana to the ground, allowing Raditz to escape his attack.

Shocked murmurs arose from the crowd. Raditz's friends cheered for him, instilling new confidence in the Saiyan boy. His long hair blew around in the wind, but the weight of it didn't deter Raditz, who stood; his guard up, planning his next move. Haryana got back up and told Raditz he was just lucky. The plucky young Saiyan went in to perform a sweeping kick. Haryana, as predicted, moved speedily behind him, the sparks revealing his next move. Raditz reacted in an instant, like his father would in battle, and shot a powerful blast of ki, which Haryana deflected back at him.

The larger sphere of ki was powered up with Haryana's energy, the size and speed of it dangerous to almost everyone in the crowd. Raditz leaped backwards to buy himself more time to charge up his move. The other children moved back from where the blasts were going to collide. _'I can push this energy sphere back at him, along with my special move!' _Raditz smirked, as the energy built up in his hands, **_"DOUBLE SUNDAY!!"_** He fired them with everything he had.

_'C'mon arms! Don't let me down!' _He pushed the attack as far as he could, feeling the force of Haryana's blast pushing against him.

"You can do this Raditz!" Zaffra called out to him from afar. He couldn't afford to turn and look at her, for he feared being distracted. He knew he had to focus, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. He was being pushed back, but kept his feet firm and would not allow his arms to shake and give out again. The beams were hitting the centre of the ki ball. Some of the sparks flew out from it, but it seemed like neither were getting anywhere.

_'Ugh…if I let go, both attacks will hit me…but…if they hit Haryana…he can dodge!'_ Raditz soon realised that behind Haryana there was the forest. _'But if he dodges, I'll be in trouble for the destruction caused!' _

He needed a way out of this attack, which he regretted causing. He directed the beams upwards with a swift move, flicked both attacks into the air, which left the atmosphere and hopefully dissipated. He felt like he had lost a lot of energy from the attack, and whilst he was recovering, his breathing deep and heavy, Haryana bellowed, "You fool! You could have had me! Hmph…you've disappointed the audience!"

"Audience?!" Raditz managed to yell back. "You made that blast so big, you would have injured 'em!"

"Well…you threw it first!" Haryana retorted, as he got into his stance. "Enough talk, we'll fight without ki, only raw strength!" Haryana continued, still with such an overconfident expression.

"There's no reason for us to even do this, Haryana!" Raditz warily walked over to him, attempting to reason. If there was one thing the boy was ever confident about, it was his ability to speak to others; knowing he could convince them to do almost _anything_ if he tried hard enough.

"I would have thought a Saiyan like you would never back down from a fight! Or was I wrong, just like Zarbon is?!" Out of nowhere, Haryana swung at him. Raditz instinctively dodged and couldn't believe he had done so, for he was always the worst at dodging. After a brief moment of shock, Raditz remembered he had but a fraction of a second to react, and he was able to pull a counter-attack.

_'His speed has dropped dramatically…he went too fast at the start, just like in the test!'_

Raditz leaped back and landed, as Haryana was having a hard time picking himself up.

"Give up, Haryana!" Raditz warned him, discouraging him from allowing their match to persist. "I know you used up a lot of energy too early, you did it this morning too! Just accept the loss, and stop being a huge asshole!"

"In your dreams!" Haryana retorted, seemingly having gained energy from nowhere, as he appeared behind the Saiyan. Raditz froze up, hating himself for doing so. Haryana's electricity flowed from his hands, becoming like vines around Raditz's body, constricting him. Any attempt to move from Raditz sent an excruciating volt through him. His wild hair stuck up from being electrocuted in small doses.

_ 'Shit, I'm totally stuck!' _Raditz cried out in pain, as the ropes of lighting tightened around him like a vice.

_'C'mon! Think!' _

Haryana laughed maniacally as he forced another jolt into his victim. The crowd stared on and Raditz's friends were trembling in fear, but there was no way to help him. Vegeta had a smile on his face, as he too, chuckled evilly.

"How can you be laughing at this?!" Zaffra asked in disgust. "This is hilarious, this clown hasn't even realised his tail is free of the attack!" Vegeta broke into laughter, and didn't realise that he had helped Raditz with his booming voice.

Raditz was able to rapidly flick his tail upwards. Haryana was too distracted by maintaining his grip on Raditz to notice his tail. The Saiyan was able to whack Haryana right where it hurt, and he was no longer able to keep his hold on Raditz; his hands now holding his groin, which thanks to Raditz, was in agonizing pain.

Haryana was kneeling on the floor, his eyes watering from his anguish. Raditz giggled and decided that since Haryana couldn't get up, that he was the winner.

He tauntingly bowed to his opponent and mocked, "Wow, Haryana! I thought you were the strongest in the class! Oh well, I guess you'll only be the best at press-ups!" He offered Haryana a hand which was swatted away and Raditz muttered, "Suit yourself..."

Raditz turned to the crowd, basking in their adulation, feeling the glory of victory. He waved to his friends and felt like he was floating on air, like for once everything had gone the way he'd dreamed. Even Vegeta clapped for him, though the prince hid his smile. The cheering of the other children made him completely forget the pain of his injuries. However, whilst his back was turned, a strong blast came from behind out of the blue and Raditz fell to the floor, knocked out cold, for the second time that day.

* * *

"Are you really sure this is necessary?!" Gine asked the doctor, still unconvinced.

"Well, unfortunately, your son's behaviour isn't improving..." The man stated, flicking through his files.

"So?! He's just a little boy, he just needs…discipline!" She attempted to reason with him.

"I'm not little, I'm nearly 6 and a half!" Raditz angrily stated, kicking his legs that were dangling from the hospital bed.

"Don't worry, Ms. Gine, this treatment is totally safe, and will better his health in the long term!" He placed a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her.

"Treatment?! Are you gonna cut my brain open like in those films?!" Raditz exclaimed as he clung to his mother's leg, the fur on his tail puffing up with fear.

"No, no, it's nothing like that!" The man reached for the bottle of pills on his table and continued to explain, "This is a new kind of medicine called Xenatine! It has been tested in some places around the galaxy, but…your boy would be the first Saiyan child to have it." He passed the bottle to Gine who inspected it carefully. Raditz didn't get much of a chance to see the label, but he could see the pills inside, one half of them was purple and the other side, white.

"And there's no other option for him?" Gine asked solemnly.

"Well..." The doctor whispered something into Gine's ear, and her face dropped. Raditz didn't know what he was suggesting. He hardly understood why he was there at all and recently all he had been seeing was adults whispering to each other, talking about him. Every one of his questions were met with unfulfilling answers.

"I... guess we'll take it." Gine sighed and took the bottle. Raditz waited impatiently as some papers were signed and the adults talked some more. They left the building and Raditz asked, "Can we finally go and see Kakarot?"

"I don't think-" Gine was interrupted by Raditz, who wasn't taking no for an answer.

"You promised we would! And it's not fair, I've been in that stupid building all day!" Raditz petulantly stomped his foot and folded his arms, scowling.

"Ok, fine!" Gine gave up trying to convince the boy to go home, and walked towards the building where the Saiyan infants were kept in birth pods.

"Yay!" Raditz followed along, his mood greatly improved.

They entered the modern building and Raditz remembered leaving it for the first time when he was young. _'I can't believe one of the first things I did with myself was fall over!' _Raditz recalled the moment, the first time he had felt pain, and the first time his mother had picked him up.

The nurse led them into a different room than usual, Kakarot was in a new pod, without the incubating liquid, which meant he was nearly ready to come out.

"Aww, isn't he adorable?!" Gine smiled as she brought Raditz over to look at him. "He's as ugly as Papa!" The boy snickered, and earned a smack from Gine.

"Raditz, don't say such things!" The boy apologised, and stood watching as his mother lovingly kissed Kakarot on the forehead.

"Are babies meant to be so squishy?" Raditz innocently inquired, poking his brother a bit too hard in the chest.

Kakarot started wailing, then some of the other babies began to stir.

"Raditz!" Gine yelled at him. Raditz was inspecting the names of the other children who unfortunately were beside Kakarot. "What kinda stupid ass name is 'Broly'?!"He questioned, before Gine roughly dragged him by the arm out of the room, as she tended to Kakarot, one of the other nurses helping her.

Raditz eavesdropped from outside and heard one nurse sigh, "Your boy definitely has a pair of lungs on him! That kid sure can scream!"

"Yeah…" Gine chuckled nervously. "I feel bad for the other kids." The women continued their conversation, Raditz found that his brother proved to be just as disruptive as him.

_'Oh, so when he causes trouble, everyone comes to adore him, but when it's me, I have to be given some sort of "treatment", like I'm crazy!'_ Raditz slumped against the wall, fed up with being here and wishing he wasn't so adamant on coming in the first place.

Eventually, his mother stepped out, and as they walked home, just like they did for the first time they left this place, the sun beating down on them (though Raditz didn't fall over this time), Gine scolded the boy.

"You need to be nicer to your brother! I don't know what on Vegeta makes you do the things you do Raditz, but because of that, now you have to take pills because you simply can't do what people tell you to!"

She continued to chastise him until they reached home. Only once she was inside, with a bottle of strong alcohol did she stop.

"You should take one of those pills now, I think." She handed him the bottle of pills and a glass of water.

"Mama needs to lie down now, you can watch TV but make sure it's quiet, I have a headache…" She turned to climb the stairs, the alcohol still in her hand, but Raditz refused to take the medicine.

Gine took a deep breath and turned to him, sternly saying, "Radittsu. You will take this medicine."

"No way! And you can't make me!" Raditz stood firm, though he was slightly afraid of his mother and what she was capable of.

Gine knelt down, placing her hands on his tense shoulders and pleaded, "If not for yourself, then for me..?" Raditz avoided her eyes, and shook his head.

"Raditz, your father and I love you very much, and-"

"No, you don't! I'm a 'burden', that's what Papa said!" The child stood, with tears in his eyes, though he was never scared to shed them in front of his mother; who was usually a kind soul...yet, she had been acting differently towards him lately.

"Well, you can make him change his mind with the help of this medicine, can't you?!" She snapped at him, snatching the bottle from his hands and giving him a single pill. Raditz reluctantly swallowed it.

"I feel weird…" He mumbled.

"Stop overreacting, you only just took it! Just drink some more water and go watch TV, ok?" She turned and went upstairs, and everything faded away.

Raditz's eyes flung open. Panic settled in but only for a moment. He realised that the green, sticky fluid being drained was from the healing tank, and flung open the door, some of the liquid still dripping from him. He scanned the room, yet there was no-one there. The air was colder than he thought, making him shiver once he stepped out from the warm chamber. He searched for his armour, and found his normal clothes on a table instead.

Putting his clothes on, he recalled what had happened. He flicked his tail to dry it, and it swished behind him as he remembered what Haryana had done.

_'I wonder who brought me here.'_ Raditz checked the time on the ticking clock above him, it had been a few hours since school ended, and now it was getting dark outside. He never liked how clocks made that incessant ticking noise, so he decided to leave the room, seeing as it was better than putting up with another second of that irritated noise.

Another cold gust of air hit him as he exited, though his mind was too preoccupied connecting the dots to care.

He strode through the hallway, earning looks from the doctors and nurses, until a thought crossed his mind. _'Shit, where's my armour?! I should have checked that room fully…' _Raditz decided it would be best to backtrack, but he had wandered aimlessly through the corridors, without looking at any signs for a sense of place. He tried his best to find a way back to that room, ensuring he looked at signs this time. The hospital was like a large maze, he thought, and was far bigger than any he had been in before. Gazing out of the wide glass window, he thought the sunset looked pleasant, unlike the main buildings, which were foreboding, yet dull.

At last, he stood in front of where he started, though he didn't know how to get in. The door required a code, and Raditz decided it was simply impossible to find it in the huge hospital. He placed an ear to the door, thinking he had heard something, or someone inside.

"Oh, Tameric, you're so good to me~!" A woman's voice could be heard and then Raditz was sure he heard a man laugh and say, "Only because you're a good girl who deserves it, Citrone~" She chuckled, and Raditz was certain he heard her make a moaning noise.

Confused, but determined, he knocked on the cold, metallic door. As he stood confidently, rehearsing in his mind what he would say, he heard whispers from the two of them, before the man opened the door and frowned upon seeing Raditz.

"Sorry to interrupt you sir, but I needed to check if my armour was here." The man looked behind him for a split second before turning to Raditz and lying, "I've looked everywhere, kid, but it isn't here, check somewhere else!" He was about to slam the door rudely in his face, but the girl came running over, stopping him.

"Wait! Are you the boy who was in healing tank 3 in here?!" She panted, asking him with urgency.

"Um…yeah, I think? Is it the one on the end?" He answered, and she dragged him inside. The other man stood there, scowling, as the nurse looked for her paperwork.

She sighed, relieved, and clicked her pen.

"I'm sorry, I was supposed to talk to you once you got out, but you left." She sat down at her desk in the corner of the room, inviting Raditz over too.

"Sorry…I didn't know I had to stay." He apologised nervously, then shuffled around in his chair and glanced up at her, causing him to realise something.

"Um…your shirt buttons…" He blushed as he whispered to her, causing her to immediately remedy it. Raditz noticed her look at the man, who stood idly on the other side of the room, leaning against the door of a healing tank. The nurse cleared her throat and began,

"So, you're new on this planet?"

He nodded and she continued, "Alright, I already have some of your health information here…there's just a few things I need to add." Raditz sat attentively, his tail at the alert. She noticed his tail and remarked, "A Saiyan, huh? Were you the last survivor along with your two friends?"

Raditz perked up, "You met them? Where are they?! Were they angry?!" He fired questions at her, hoping she would put his mind at ease.

"No, they seemed rather concerned. Your other school friends brought you here too, but they left. I talked to the other Saiyans, but they left gaps in their information, so I have to ask you some things too, but don't worry, I'll make it quick." She cleared her throat again and asked, "When is your birthday?" She told him, but after some hesitation, as it took him a moment to remember how to say it in the standard universal language.

"Power level at birth?" She asked, after writing his last answer down, and Raditz had decided to lie about his power, feeling rather embarrassed about the real number. "50." He beamed proudly, until her next question.

"Any medication you are currently taking, or have taken in the past, for at least 2 weeks?" Raditz considered lying again, but knew the consequences would be much greater than his other lie. Fiddling with his tail, he murmured, "…Xenatine."

The nurse stared, bewildered, and almost wanted to laugh, but saw the sincerity in Raditz's face.

"Wait, for real?" She asked, still in disbelief, and he nodded. "You…don't seem like the sort of kid that would need it…" Raditz did not respond, he only kept his eyes fixed on his hands, which he fidgeted with in his lap.

"Well, how long have you been taking it?" She inquired, and Raditz reluctantly answered, "I…don't take it anymore."

The nurse, who Raditz realised was called Citrone, after the man who had opened the door earlier told her to hurry up, scribbled down information. Raditz noticed her handwriting was messy like his, and wondered what Miss Croe would think. Citrone asked about how long he had taken it before and about the dosage.

"Do you know why you had to stop taking it?"

Raditz was once again faced with two choices: tell the truth, or lie.

He knew what the real answer was, same as he did to the other questions she had asked, but he decided much worse would come from it than good, if he was truthful.

"No…I presume it's because I got better, and didn't need it." He told her.

"Ok, well, that was my last question! You are free to go!" She grinned, aligning the sheets of paper. Raditz sprung to his feet, nervously thanking her and walking over to the door, the eyes of the man following him, his glare piercing.

"Hey, wait! I didn't tell you where your friends are!" She called out to him. "They said they would be in the training centre, they have your armour ready for you, though I wouldn't suggest fighting…" Raditz was about to reassure her, but the man spoke before he had the chance, "Citrone, he's a Saiyan, he can take it!"

Citrone chuckled, "Sorry, I forgot…even after your friends bragged that only a few hours in the tank would heal you, must be your miraculous Saiyan genetics!" Her sarcasm caused Raditz to raise an eyebrow, more in confusion than in offense.

"Anyway, are you sure you're fully healed?" She asked.

Raditz stretched and checked his arms and legs. He still felt somewhat sore and stiff in his joints, mainly in his arms, but that was understandable.

"Yeah, I'm fine! Thank you!" He headed out the door, zooming past various people, apologising when he knocked a few things over, hoping that perhaps he had gained a Zenkai boost.

_'I feel faster…but I can't tell if my energy is restored, or if it really is a Zenkai!' _Raditz had gained a few Zenkais before, but he remembered how amazing it felt. The thought of his comrades being mad at him had left his mind completely, he just wanted them to check out how strong he was.

Once out of the building, he followed the signs to the training centre, which was only around the block. Though it was evening, the main city was still bustling, the darkness not keeping its busy residents and visitors away, since the streetlights and signs illuminated the area.

Raditz strolled into the building, the gravity not fazing him. Nappa and Vegeta were sitting in a room, watching another fighter, waiting for their turn.

"Well, for fuck's sake, how long does it take to leave a medical centre!?" Nappa exclaimed, ruining the boy's pleasant mood. Raditz apologised and sat beside Vegeta. Just as he was about to ask Vegeta about what happened after the fight, the prince was called up by the tannoy. The other fighter left the room, exhausted, and Vegeta could be seen on the screen after he entered.

The Prince immediately fought the Saibamen that appeared, effortlessly. Raditz, once again was feeling awful, just as he did the last time he was in the chamber, though this time, he couldn't pull some trick to get him out of his predicament.

"Raditz, you're goin' after Vegeta, and I don't want you to pull some stunt like last time, got it?!" Nappa snapped, and Raditz nodded.

"Go put your armour on, and could you please be quick about it for once?!" The general handed him his armour and Raditz hurried off.

The changing room was empty and much larger than the one in school, with more privacy too. Raditz got changed, and while he was doing so, he found it beneficial to keep his mind off of training, and all the possible ways he could screw it up.

_'I didn't see Haryana in the hospital…I guess he didn't need healing.'_ He sighed, as he adjusted the red bands on his limbs.

_'Father…I'm sorry, I let you down again.' _

Out of the corner of his eye, just as he was walking out, he caught sight of his reflection. He wanted to immediately turn away from the mirror; the single glimpse he had taken at himself was enough to make his stomach twist, he knew he didn't deserve his armour, nor the red bands.

"Oh, what now? Gonna cry again?" His reflection spoke with venom, repeating the words his father would say.

"My day has been shit enough even without you tormenting me, just **leave** me the **fuck** alone!" Raditz ordered him, though he knew his efforts were futile.

"Mother wouldn't be happy if she knew you swore so much!" The reflection taunted him.

"_SHUT UP!_"

It laughed and sneered condescendingly, "Poor Raditz, you don't seem to understand…we are one and the same, whether you like it or not! And you ain't ever gettin' rid of me, got it?!" Raditz clenched his fists and his mirror image continued, "But don't worry! I'm here to help you! We know what Haryana has to blackmail us…"

"What?! I don't have a secret-"

"The Xenatine, you **idiot**!" It yelled, and Raditz gulped.

"Imagine what everyone will think of you…especially since you-" Raditz put his hands over his ears, knowing what he would say next. He didn't want to remember.

"Still trying to run from what you did, who you are will get you nowhere..." It whispered, sinisterly.

The tannoy called his name.

"Aw…and our fun conversation was only beginning! Oh, well…at least you can show your 'friends' your so-called fighting prowess!" Raditz ignored him and left the room. Though he had been saved from one awful thing, to be sent to another, he was more concerned about Haryana and what he knew.

Raditz wasn't certain about many things in his life anymore. He used to have it all figured out on his home planet, but now it seemed that the universe was far different than what he had seen through the TV screens and what people had said, yet as he stepped into the room he found he was certain about one thing:

Someday, he would end up victorious, like he had longed to be.

Today just wasn't that day.


	13. So, A Saiyan Walks Into A Bar-

**Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of its characters cmon we know the drill****welcome back kids.****cant believe some of you are still here, you deserve choccy milk****hope we having fun in coronatime and staying safe...uh...****oh yeah so your girl got a random burst of inspiration for a goten story so yeah look forward to that.****please remember to comment about anything, like even if its a poop emoji or just say hi to me, dm me or whatever im very lonely.**

* * *

The wind howled, causing Raditz to shiver. Summer had definitely met its end. Standing on the cliff's edge, he overlooked the rest of the beach; the sea expanding far beyond the horizon. Not too long ago, he'd been fighting against a Saibamen; the outcome surprising him. He had won, for _real_ this time. A Zenkai boost had given him the strength to do so, yet his victory felt undeserved, as did the power boost.

Raditz gazed up into the sky. It seemed like the entire world was shrouded in darkness. He could not spot a single star, though he thought he saw a few flashes of light, and what he thought to be a shooting star, which turned out to be just an ordinary space pod.

Time seemed to flow differently.

He was hardly sure as to why he came out here. Though he tried hard, he just couldn't sleep, so much had happened that day that his mind was still buzzing. When he had gotten up, he was sure it had to be past midnight. Everything was silent for once, apart from the static of the TV. Raditz decided to take his bag with all his personal belongings and go to the cave he found before. He flew out the window, so as not to wake anyone, and soared to the cliff, a sense of freedom coursing through him.

He noticed that when it was dark, the beach looked almost identical to Planet Vegeta, the pale colours becoming dark; though still beautiful. Despite it being almost 2am, Raditz didn't feel exhausted whatsoever. He presumed the healing tank ensured he was well-rested. Although staring off into the distance and listening to the sound of the rolling waves did bring serenity to his racing mind, he remembered that he was here for a reason, even if that reason was somewhat stupid, admittedly.

Illuminating the small cave with his ki, he set his bag on the damp rock floor. _'Now__…what should I keep here?'_ Raditz opened up the bag, looking through all the precious items he had left. He knew it was wrong to be so sentimental, but no-one would ever know. He made a mental note to improve the cave, but for now would use the rocks to hide his belongings safely. Raditz doubted anyone would ever steal his things, even if they were badly hidden; since there were no signs of people ever having been on the beach.

Raditz pulled out the sweets, still in their silk bag. As delectable as they were, the boy worried that if he ate them all, he would never have them again.

"There." He whispered, placing the bag down gently, tucking it in behind a rock, sort of like putting a child to bed, then ensuring that the thread around it was tied especially tight, so that no insects would get in.

Reaching into the bag once more, he pulled out his notebook. The photo of him with his parents fell out as he took it out, but Raditz was able to catch it before it blew off into the wind. He also thought it would be best to leave it here, just in case Nappa or Vegeta found it.

Then, he removed Haryana's note, which he ripped to shreds without a thought, just the sight of it setting him off. He wasn't over the humiliation he faced, and seeing the note was an unwelcome reminder that Raditz would have to endure attending school the following morning. He shook that thought off and kept sorting his belongings. From the bottom of the bag he removed his GameStar. He recalled how he used to beg for one, all the kids who had them were automatically deemed cool by association. At first, his father bought him a cheap fake version, which was pretty lousy. On his 5th birthday, however, he could hardly contain his shock when his father bought him a real one, with the new Galactic Zap game too.

Raditz opened up the handheld console, flicking the power switch on. He had only brought Galactic Zap, which was understandable, since it was his favourite game. The charge on the console was full, but he switched it off, not knowing when he would get to charge it up again._ 'Maybe La'tei and Moka have one!' _He thought positively, hoping he could play with them. Raditz decided to keep the GameStar in his bag, wanting to show off at school tomorrow.

Once Raditz had finished sorting through everything, he returned to his room, right as dawn broke. It was easier to sleep now, and his mind was put at ease, to an extent.

"Wake up, fool!"

"Huh? wha-" Raditz mumbled, slowly opening his eyes to see Vegeta standing by his bed, glaring angrily. "Do you just _like_ being late or something?! Get up, _NOW!_" Raditz stumbled to his feet and immediately got dressed. The prince reminded him of his mother, screaming at him to get out of bed. Nappa stayed asleep, but the boys had to hurry out of the door and catch up to Moka and La'tei, who were already making their way to the station.

* * *

This day, just as the others had been at the academy, was exhausting, and dragged on and on. Nothing much was interesting. Raditz avoided Zarbon, in the case he was mad at him after he lied to him about fighting. Unfortunately, he couldn't avoid the other children chattering about the fight on the playground, but La'tei and Zaffra were able to take his mind off it. Surprisingly, Haryana didn't talk to Raditz, or show off. _'Well…at least I shut him up…for now at least.' _

Raditz sat daydreaming in class and watched the clock, willing its hands to move faster.

_'Oh, c'mon! Just 10 minutes and I can go home!'_

"_Raditz!_" Miss Croe yelled, startling Raditz, similarly to Vegeta. "What?" He snapped out of his daydream and was met with his teacher's disapproving glare.

"Oh, I mean pardon, miss!" Raditz corrected himself, though he didn't see anything wrong with his first response.

"Yes, yes, whatever, just hand these consent forms out!" She dropped a stack of sheets on his desk and he sprung to his feet. Reading the top of the sheets, his eyes widened and he wasted no time in handing them out to everyone, too excited to care if they said 'thank you' or not. _'Finally, a **real** school trip! Not like one of those awful ones in my old school!"_

He recalled the trip he'd been on to some war museum last year. It was terribly mind-numbing, even though it was a place all about one of the things Raditz found incredibly fascinating. He remembered an elite boy had dared him to wear the helmet of an ancient war hero, of which he did, of course, to prove he feared nothing. He dropped it, not expecting it to be so heavy, and a part of it broke. Raditz got into a lot of trouble after that. _'Jeez…no wonder that war hero died in battle, his helmet was shittier than that fake GameStar!'_

This trip, however; was far better, since they got to go to a different planet instead of some tiresome museum. Raditz hadn't bothered to listen to what Miss Croe told them about the trip, or what they would be doing exactly, he didn't care; being on a different planet was fun, especially when he could be stuck in a stuffy classroom doing arithmetic instead.

"I need you to return these permission slips by next Wednesday!" Miss Croe instructed them, and Raditz wrote it down on his hand as a reminder.

* * *

"Nappa, I need you to sign this letter!" Raditz burst through the door of their apartment, waving the letter in his face. Nappa asked what it was for, to which Raditz shrugged, "I dunno really, it's just some trip to some planet."

Nappa took the sheet from him and Raditz gave him a pen. The burly Saiyan read the letter, "Name of pupil…" He clicked the pen, "Radittsu."

"How did you-" Raditz gasped in shock.

"Know your real name?" He chuckled, "Though my looks may deceive you…_I_ _am_ rather old. I knew your grandfather, yes, I recall watching him fight when I was a young lad." Nappa spoke casually about Raditz's grandfather, who was such a hero to the boy, as he continued to fill in the form.

"…everyone says I look just like him." Raditz sighed.

"Yeah, that hair especially," Nappa laughed once again.

Raditz growled and retorted, "Well… at least I'm not _going_ _bald!"_

Nappa defended himself with, "I'm not going bald! It's just… _thinning_ a little!" Raditz giggled, and even Vegeta cracked a smile before heading into his bedroom.

"I probably will be going bald, with you two stressing me out!" Nappa exhaled, handing Raditz the form, which was now filled out; despite his messy handwriting.

_'Heh, imagine if Miss Croe rips the sheet up and makes Nappa do it again like she did to me!'_

Raditz dwelled on the thought as he went to his room.

* * *

The next week flew by, which came as a pleasant surprise to Raditz. The thought of the trip on Friday spurred him on when everything seemed terribly monotonous. Miss Croe warned them that any misbehaviour would cost them their place on the trip, so Raditz did his best to be "as good as gold", as his mother always put it.

He was the first to return the permission slip on Wednesday, his punctuality earning him a point in the system. Raditz didn't know what the points were for, and spent his time imagining what the prizes could be, until he realised, he needed to actually do some work, that is.

At long last, Friday morning was upon him. The glorious sunlight that day was surely an omen of the good to come, or at least it was in his eyes.

"You're up early for once, how come?" Vegeta asked, with his usual spiteful tone. Raditz explained that his class was going on a trip and that he decided to pack early and eat breakfast. Usually Raditz had gotten up so late that he had to rush out the house without eating, but he figured that today would be a long one, so he better be up and ready.

"That one of those Game…thingies, Raditz?" Nappa inquired, as he walked over to the kitchen. Raditz nodded, putting it in his bag. Nappa took a swig of beer he had left on the kitchen counter, and asked to take a look at it. Raditz reluctantly handed it to him. He thought it looked tiny in the man's giant hands.

"God, I remember my son having loads of these. He always ended up breaking them, so you better be careful with it out there!" He warned the boy, handing back the little handheld. Raditz made sure everything was ready, and left the house with Vegeta, as well as the two brothers.

"Cool! You have a GameStar too!" Moka exclaimed excitedly. "Yeah, and the Galactic Zap game!" Raditz bragged. La'tei pulled one out of his bag and told Raditz that they only had one between them.

"Heh, I bet my mother wouldn't have bought another for my little brother too!" Raditz giggled and forgot Vegeta was there.

"_Brother__?_ You didn't tell us you had a brother, Raditz." Vegeta glared at him, as if he was accusing him of something.

"I did, but he died on Planet Vegeta before he was out of incubation." He lied, almost trying to convince himself. Raditz supposed that if he revealed that Kakarot was indeed alive, then they would have to go and find him, but Raditz decided it was safer for Kakarot to stay on the planet he had been sent to and complete his mission.

'_I'll...just have to think of a way to make it seem like I forgot, or I didn't know he was alive!'_ Raditz made a plan in his head about his brother, who he hadn't really thought of until he accidentally mentioned him.

"Well…I bet you would have been a good big brother, like La'tei!" Moka beamed at him, his missing front tooth noticeable. Raditz could only hope he was right.

* * *

Before they departed, his class had to go to an assembly where they were lectured about the trip, and behaviour expectations and various other things Raditz couldn't quite care to listen to. Instead, when Miss Croe wasn't watching him like a hawk, Raditz whispered to his friends beside him, "D'you reckon Berryblue wears a wig?!" All 3 children looked up at her and stifled their laughter, causing a teacher to shush them. Finally, Berryblue stopped blathering on and closed her mouth, allowing for the children to be dismissed class by class, the elites obviously being allowed out first.

They walked out of the building, marching in a single file like soldiers; which some would eventually become. "That's so unfair!" Raditz griped. "The stronger kids got let out first, and they get to sit on the upstairs of the ship!" His friends agreed, though nothing could be done about it.

"C'mon guys, let's go sit at the back!" Raditz stepped in and searched for spaces. The seats were all taken up by other children, and since Raditz and his friends were at the back of the line, they had the unfortunate pleasure of sitting at the very front of the bus, near the teachers. La'tei and Zaffra sat beside each other before Raditz could sit down.

"Sorry, Raditz!" They chuckled and Raditz sighed, before hearing a familiar voice call his name.

"Raditz! Come sit here, next to me!" Zarbon tapped the seat beside him. Raditz scanned the whole ship, there _had_ to be another seat somewhere.

"Come on, I won't bite!" His master called out to him again and the boy reluctantly sat beside him.

_'I don't get the window seat either!'_

Raditz took a deep breath and shook all the negative thoughts out of his head, determined to let nothing spoil his day.

_'At least I have my GameStar!' _Raditz smiled, taking it out of the bag which he set on the floor, before strapping himself to the seat, just as the ship was about to launch. Zarbon tsked, "Electronics are not allowed, this is still a school trip! Put it away, please."

Raditz rolled his eyes and did as his master instructed, glaring at La'tei and Zaffra who played together by hiding the device behind Zaffra's jacket.

Raditz sat in silence for a while, but it was too loud to focus on his daydream. A question came into his mind. "Master Zarbon?" The man turned his head from the window to look down at the child.

"You're one of Frieza's top men… you've led armies into battle and completed purges alone, so why are you here?" Raditz asked, causing Zarbon to raise an eyebrow at him. "What's the point in supervising a school trip when you could be doing… pretty much _anything?"_

Zarbon turned back to the window, gazing into the cosmos before answering, "Though I may seem like a man who enjoys the finer things in life, of which I am…_sometimes_…it's just pleasant to enjoy the finer things in life! I did go to this school as a child… it's nice to give back." His master grinned, and Raditz wasn't sure which was harder to imagine: Zarbon as a child, or when he was a child, which was difficult to say, since his looks suggested he was fairly young.

Raditz considered asking his age but quickly remembered his mother saying that age is a rude thing to ask about.

"Besides," The teal-skinned alien continued, "Most of the work you think I do is done by people below me. Although… I do remember the days before Lord Frieza took over the empire. Back then, I was the one _carrying_ _out_ orders rather than _giving_ them." He chuckled briefly, then there was silence for a moment before his master inquired, "So what was your life on Planet Vegeta like?" Raditz looked puzzled, why would someone like him care?

"Oh, come on, you're always firing questions at me! Tell me, we have plenty of time, so let's pass it with some polite conversation. Think of it…like part of your training!" Zarbon smiled as he tucked a stray piece of hair behind his ear, his earring swaying as he did so.

"Planet Vegeta? Well… what do you wanna know about it?" Raditz fiddled with his tail and Zarbon asked about his family.

"You miss them, no?" He added, speaking in a soft tone. "In a way… but I'll get over it. It's weak to mourn for so long." Raditz gave the standard Saiyan answer, choosing his words carefully. Zarbon asked about their roles in the army.

"My father was the captain of the best low-class squad… they used to take on missions that even middle classes couldn't take!" Raditz bragged, and then apologised, "Oh, I didn't mean to come off so boastful, I-"

"There's no need to apologise, child. I understand your pride. Please… continue." His master demanded, and Raditz stated, "My mother used to be a fighter. She met my father when she was put on his team but… then she couldn't fight anymore."

"Disability?" Zarbon asked.

"Yeah… I guess you could say that." Raditz wasn't technically lying, he was just omitting certain truths, as he tended to describe it.

"I see…" Zarbon looked pensive as he once again stared at the galaxy surrounding the ship, then turned back to Raditz in sudden realisation.

"Your father… you say he was a low-class taking on elite missions?!" Raditz was startled by his master, who usually had a calm manner around the boy, and leaned away from him slightly, whilst nodding.

"Did he go to Planet Kanassa, shortly before your planet was destroyed?!"

Raditz thought for a moment, the name did ring a bell. "Oh, Kanassa? Yeah… he went there, he was injured pretty badly afterwards."

"The son of Bardock, right? I am pronouncing that correctly?" Raditz beamed with pride.

"Yeah! Wow… I thought my Papa was only famous on Planet Vegeta… I had no idea that super strong PTO people knew about him!" Raditz buzzed with excitement, his tail swishing in the air.

"Hmm… I guess it must be fate that the offspring of a man like that has ended up here, alive." Zarbon placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and continued, "You know…when I first saw you, I just _knew_ there had to be something special about you. Why else would a low-class boy be on a team with his prince and a famous general?"

Raditz's eyes gleamed, he loved the feeling swelling up in him, reminding him he was different from the rest; a good difference, of course.

"I bet you'll make your father very proud." Zarbon reassured him, and Raditz nodded again, determination written all over his face.

The ship came to an abrupt halt.

The lights went out, and it sounded like one of the engines had blown. Some children screamed, the sound piercing through Raditz, who covered his ears and shut his eyes tight as the ship shook; expecting it to crash.

_"CALM DOWN, EVERYONE!!"_ Miss Croe screeched, which was rather hypocritical, since she was the one yelling louder than the wailing children.

_"HARYANA! DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING!?"_ Zarbon called out to the boy, who was very clearly sitting at the back of the ship. As he tried to contain the electric jolts shooting from his body as the ship trembled, he mentioned that this model of the spacecraft did not have an asteroid prevention system in the engine.

"There was probably a blockage, which made it burst from pressure!" He explained, and the ship began to tilt slightly. Raditz managed to stop his bag from sliding away with his foot and suggested, "Maybe the pilot will know what to do?!"

"It's an automatic ship, _there is_ no pilot!" Zarbon immediately shot down his idea.

**CLANK!**

Something had latched onto the ship. The kids screamed again, and something else grabbed the other side.

"Look, we're being rescued!" Raditz exclaimed, seeing other ships surrounding them. They all whooped and cheered until Zarbon noticed the logo on the ships.

"_Saved?!_ They're the Galactic Patrol!"

Raditz knew all about the evil Galactic Patrol. He had heard terrible stories about them. Once, he heard a Saiyan team was brutally killed by them. Another time, he was told that they captured Saiyans and put them on display, keeping them like animals, putting them through vicious torture.

"We're all gonna DIE!!!" One girl dramatically hollered, spreading panic through the rest of the children, as they were towed away by the Galactic Patrol ships from in front.

"Master Zarbon, doesn't this ship have guns, or lasers in it to shoot them with?!" Raditz asked, but Zarbon shook his head, before instructing the children, _"ALL OF YOU, BE QUIET!"_ The children, in fear, fell silent and Zarbon advised, "If you all just act cute and scared, those weaklings will let us be on our way!"

They were dragged to a military base, owned by the Galactic Patrol. The children murmured to each other as they were taken.

_'I guess this is better than being left to rot in space.'_

The doors opened, and some officers stepped in brandishing guns, though the children were much too frightened to open their normally loud mouths at this time.

Zarbon though, had a smirk on his face. He undid the seatbelt around him and stood up, hands raised.

"Ah, the Galactic Patrol, what a lovely surprise!" The men had their guns raised to him. Raditz did his best to act invisible. "Our ship had a technical issue, without you, we would have been stranded! Oh, these **poor** children, they were half frightened to death, but thank goodness you were around!" The men put down their weapons. "Children! Let's show how courteous we are here at the Planetary Trade Organisation, and give a big thank you!"

The children; dazed and terrified, gave a shaky, fearful thank you, many kids out of unison, or so frozen in place, they couldn't possibly muster a single word.

They were led out of the ship by the teachers, who followed the officers. The group were taken into some sort of military base, and were told to stay put until their commander came.

"Master Zarbon! We have to escape!" Raditz begged his master to do something, but the doors were blocked by burly guards.

"C'mon, you can fight these guys!" Raditz shook his master's arm to get his attention, but Zarbon told him to remain calm.

Raditz realised Zarbon wasn't about to take immediate action, so he decided to approach his friends.

"Guys, we have to do something!" He exclaimed.

"What can we do? All the doors are blocked!" Zaffra replied.

At that moment, a door behind them opened.

The guards stood to attention, standing away from the doors, in what Raditz thought was an idiotic move. A woman, with armour akin to the other soldier's, as well as jewellery draped around her neck and dangling from his ears, sparkling in the light, strided into the room; her cape billowing behind her.

"My, my, what a catch! Must be my biggest success, of which there are many, capturing PTO **scum**!" She laughed, scornfully.

"Lord Zarbon! Oh, it's been a while, I see you're taking children on school trips which involve messing up the universe's natural balance!" She stood, pretending to be delighted by the general, who scowled.

"If I were you, I'd defect to the Patrol! We certainly have much better jobs for you than this…" She roughly grasped his face and whispered, "…and…we need more pretty boys around here~"

The other children standing behind the teachers, away from Zarbon and the other lady, were watching silently, as were the teachers. Raditz spied an opportunity. He grabbed his friends and while everyone was too busy watching the back and forth conversation that ensued between the two powerful figures, snuck out from the door closest to them.

"We should turn back, we'll get lost!" Zaffra called out to them as she trailed behind, aiming to keep her voice as low as possible.

"No way!" Raditz responded, leading them on, not a clue where he was going. "Don't you wanna be heroes?! C'mon we can save captured PTO soldiers and escape with everyone else!" He smirked, getting lost in his thoughts about the praise he would receive. He hardly noticed the door in front of him, which he ran straight into.

_"OWW!" _He yelped, and his friends came to his aid.

"At this rate, you'll win an award for most times any person has ever broken their nose in a week!" Zaffra sighed, and La'tei giggled. Raditz was luckily fine, and had inadvertently found the mess hall of the base.

"We can't go in there wearing PTO uniforms! We're lucky enough to have gotten this far without being caught!" Zaffra warned him.

"Then we'll find some of their armour to wear! I'm dying to get out of this scratchy uniform anyway." The boy took notice of his surroundings, as he rubbed his once again aching nose, and caught sight of a sign directing them to where the armour was kept.

La'tei and Zaffra reluctantly followed him, and put on their disguises. "You sure this'll work?" La'tei asked, as he examined himself in the mirror.

"Of course, I'm sure! I see it on TV all the time, people use disguises to get into places and they don't suspect a thing!" Raditz fixed the band on his arm, and laughed at his reflection.

_'The Galactic Patrol armour is so dorky! _You'd never expect them to be so evil...' He didn't dwell on the insults spoken by the reflection. It wasn't like he could respond at that moment.

9

"So what's the plan here?" La'tei inquired, looking somewhat eager, whilst Zaffra looked uneasy, as she fiddled with the skirt; which was difficult to keep down.

"We'll go into the hall and ask some questions!" Raditz confidently informed them of his 'genius plan'.

"Won't that look a bit suspicious?" La'tei doubted his idea. "If they ask, we can just say we're a new squad! C'mon, we can try some of their food too! Before we heroically save our fellow PTO workers, that is!"

He confidently entered the room, ignoring the stares and whispers that tended to follow him and his tail, which was visible, but still around his waist. Raditz sauntered up to the counter, hid his struggle to get up onto the high chairs of the bar, cleared his throat and demanded, "3 Chocolate milkshakes for me and my acquaintances here, my good sir!"

The bartender raised an eyebrow. "'_Acquaintances?'_" Raditz turned to his friends, sharply gesturing them to come sit next to him. Raditz nervously laughed and asked for whipped cream, to which the bartender snickered, "You're joking, right?!" Raditz furrowed his eyebrows.

_'No milkshakes?! What kinda awful place is this?!'_

"Kid, this is a bar, not an ice cream parlour! And… shouldn't you be in school?"

La'tei and Zaffra glared at Raditz, who had gotten them into this predicament.

"We're…a new squad! Yeah, sorry, we didn't know we weren't allowed in here… we'll just be on our way, hehe! Let's go… and catch some PTO jerks, guys!" Raditz hopped down from the stool, his friends following suit. All 3 of them tried their best to walk as fast as they could out of the room, in an inconspicuous manner, which was pretty much impossible.

"Wait a second!" The bartender exclaimed, causing the kids to stop in their tracks. "Children don't work until age 10 here!"

A man came through the door behind the bar, shouting, "3 PTO kids we captured have escaped, find them immediately, one is a Saiyan!" Upon hearing this, Raditz instinctively ran out of the door. There was clamouring from the bar; he was certain they were talking about him. He turned around, once he had hidden around a corner to catch his breath, "Guys?!" He searched around, careful not to show himself too much in case someone from down the hall saw, yet his friends were nowhere to be seen.

_'Shit…they were too slow; they didn't know which way I went and turned the other way! I have to keep going!'_

Raditz heard the pounding footsteps approaching and sprinted down the corridor, searching for a room that was safe enough to hide in. There were some people in the corridors and in the rooms who saw him, alerting more guards to where he was going, surely, they were gaining on him. He couldn't turn back though, instead, just as a guard made a swipe at him; grasping his tail for a moment, before he shook him free, he put on a burst of speed. Luckily, his energy was high from eating breakfast, allowing him to reach an elevator. The doors closed just in time, and Raditz pressed all the buttons, the longer he was in the elevator, the better. He needed to formulate a plan, and fast.

He was breathing rapidly; his heart was bursting out of his chest. Raditz couldn't think about his friends at that moment, he needed a way to escape detection. During the lift's ascension, he ran through various ideas. He was praised for being a quick thinker after all.

"Trying to escape from the roof..?" A woman's sinister voice startled him from behind. It was the lady from before!_ 'How did **she** get here?!'_

"It won't work, you wild creature! I won't stop until I see every last piece of Saiyan scum **dead**, with the fur of their mangy tails _ripped off!_"

"Y-you crazy bitch!" Raditz tried to sound fierce, but was slowly backing into a corner. Somehow, she had gotten behind him. Before Raditz could even react, she had a firm grip on his tail. Raditz was wracked with pain, before the paralyzing agony faded; replaced by numbness, and the growing darkness.


	14. Top 10 Anime Escapes: Number 1:

**in the words of our lord and saviour shrek: _OH HELLO THERE!_****ok so im writing a new fic...please check it out i require attention...****basically im trying to alternate chapters, writing one chapter per week!****as always, thank you all for reading and commenting****(im extremely lonely, dm me or whatever...whoever sends me a hot pic of future trunks will get a nice shout-out next chapter!)****:)**

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"Look who's finally waking up…" The voice was sweet and syrupy like honey, though Raditz could sense her malice. The clicking of heels became louder as she approached. His vision was hazy, but he could feel cold metal around his limbs, restricting him.

"What's going on?! Where's everyone else?!" He demanded, feeling panicked and confused.

"Shhh…" She placed a finger on his lips, her nails were elegantly painted, he noticed. She smiled sinisterly. "If you strain your voice now, it won't be as fun when I make you scream in agony, Saiyan!"

_'They really are psychopaths here! I gotta get out before this bitch tries to kill me!'_

"W-what are you gonna do to me?" He asked, acting afraid with the hope he could buy some time. If he could get her to start monologuing, like TV villains, he could have time to formulate a plan.

"Hmph! I don't think your puny brain will be able to comprehend that!" She scoffed, and flicked her hair behind her shoulder.

"Well…at least tell me who the hell you are and why you hate me and my people!" He exclaimed, and she chuckled, "A cunning little brat, aren't you? You think you will distract me with your idle chatter?" Then she seemingly out of nowhere, grabbed a saw and her silver eyes darted to his tail, which too was chained down and he was unable to wriggle it free.

"Struggle as much as you want, but your feeble efforts are futile!" A wide grin crept up onto her face, her skin an icy blue colour like the rest of her body. She placed the saw against his tail, causing a chilling impulse to race up his spine. She swiped it lightly, the graze of pain still enough to make him yelp. He had been through this before, when he got into trouble on Planet Vegeta but, this was serious. She put more force in, penetrating the skin, and he screamed.

"Good! I hope you hurt more than those who your people slaughtered mercilessly!" She cackled evilly like a witch; though she was far prettier than one.

The door swung open.

"Zarbon?!" The lady turned around, dropping her weapon in the process, as his master was ready to fire a ki blast. "Let the boy go!" He ordered.

_'Shit…I thought my tail was done for!'_ Raditz sighed, relieved, until the psycho woman aimed a blast at both him and Zarbon, one in each hand.

"Don't you remember what happened last time we fought, Zarbon?! Or has kissing Frieza's ass all day given you brain damage?!"

_'Last time?!'_ He thought, as a blast flew towards the woman, yet it did practically nothing. "Oh, darling, you'll have to do better than that! You hardly smudged my make-up!" She taunted, as she fired her own blast back. Zarbon swatted it away, the ball of energy hurling towards Raditz, who screamed like a damsel in distress; which in some ways he kind of was at that moment. He squeezed his eyes shut and did his best to brace for impact, yet it did not hit him. It had, however, destroyed the control panel, which had been keeping the chains tight around Raditz.

Free, the startled Saiyan jumped to the floor, wrapping his tail around his waist, which luckily had it's nerves still intact. The lady fired a beam at him, and before he could react, Zarbon leapt in front of him, deflecting the beam.

"Raditz! Get out of here, NOW!" Zarbon launched into battle, and Raditz hesitated, he just couldn't follow his instructions.

"No way! I-I'm not gonna leave you here, I'm no coward!" The boy protested, and his master yelled, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, _"GO BEFORE YOU'RE KILLED!"_

Raditz was trembling, he had never seen Zarbon so furious, and in battle at that, both commanders were so elegant, and agile; their moves hardly visible to the child who ran out the door, only to be met with soldiers towering over him, cracking their knuckles and laughing. They surrounded him completely, and just as one was about to swipe at him, he created an explosion around him using his ki, in the way he was taught by his father. It was able to knock them back far enough that he could escape and try to run back to where his friends originally were.

He was exhausted and his power was drained, but he kept going, stumbling a few times but eventually getting back up. Sirens blared, and doors shut on themselves. Some people who clearly weren't aware of what was going on panicked. Raditz was able to turn and enter the room where he had left his armour. Since there was no use left in wearing that uncomfortable disguise, he changed immediately, taking a moment to catch his breath. He ducked as he heard pounding footsteps outside and hid behind the door, which thankfully, no-one entered.

He got up, panting, after ensuring the coast was clear, but shutters had come down on the door, preventing him from leaving. He figured it was a security measure, and gave the Patrol credit for being smart, but had no idea what to do. Upon inspection of the room, his friends' uniforms were no longer there, showing they had to have come this way.

_'Ok…Well if I wait, maybe they'll open the door eventually?'_ He positively hoped.

_'No, by then things'll be worse…they are looking for me, after all…'_ He considered breaking through the door, but it was solid Cosmilium, one of the universe's strongest elements.

He kicked the door in frustration, only to clutch his aching foot. The clanging sound alerted a guard, who came towards the door. Raditz scanned the room, looking for a better hiding spot and caught sight of an air vent, which was big enough for him to crawl into.

He climbed inside, shutting it before the guards could enter and see him.

_'I guess they have a code to open doors.'_ He thought, and paused, as he heard the guard leave once more. Raditz didn't remember the soldiers on the base wearing scouters, so he thought it would be safe to make his way through, undetected.

_'I see people do this in movies all the time!'_ He reassured himself as he continued through the cold vents, blowing air behind him. As he went, he could hear chattering at some point, though none were children of his age. At one point he thought he was on top of that bar that didn't have any milkshakes, but hurried on.

He had no clue about where he was going, but ventured onwards, eventually reaching the room where Zarbon was fighting that lady, though he hadn't intended to. He was above them, peering through the grate, where he did not see what he was expecting.

Instead of a fierce battle, he saw the thing that adults did on TV, on those channels he wasn't allowed to look at; he didn't know what it was called, or _why_ people ever even did it. The lady moaned, catching Raditz off guard, who gasped at the startling sight. The metal of the vent creaked from his weight, and the pair immediately went to investigate it, after putting their clothes back on.

Zarbon came up and peered through the grate, and Raditz meekly waved. His master gave him a stern look and swatted him away, saving him once more.

"What's wrong, my darling?" She sauntered over to him, hips swaying, her clothes hardly on at all.

Zarbon fixed his dishevelled appearance and stood in front of the grate, lying to her that it was nothing, before being dragged away by her into a different room. As Zarbon left, he turned to Raditz and looked in the direction he should go in. The boy nodded and shimmied his way backwards, managing to turn himself around where the vents crossed and continued onwards, ignoring all the sounds below him.

_'I gotta be close by now! I've been in here for ages!'_ He sighed. Luckily, he heard the sounds of the other children, telling him that he was close. Raditz once again watched through the grate. What he saw this time was arguably worse than what he witnessed before: everyone was rounded up, standing with their hands raised as soldiers pointed guns at the multitude of terrified kids.

He wanted to do something to help La'tei and Zaffra who were marched in, their hands also raised, but if he tried, he would certainly be caught. Zarbon was nowhere to be seen, and the other teachers were unable to do anything.

_'Ah, crap baskets! This is awful…and all my fault!'_ He hadn't the time to feel guilty, he needed to get out of the vent and save them, to redeem himself.

La'tei and Zaffra were taken into the circle with the others. Zaffra, standing on the edge of the crowd with La'tei, turned her head and saw him. Her eyes were full of fear and desperation, but she had to look away to prevent alerting the soldiers.

"These are innocent children!" Miss Croe begged them to let them go. "You'll have Lord Frieza to answer to if you dare harm a single hair on the heads of any of these children!" She daringly warned them.

"I'd die rather than be a slave to you, and I won't let you hurt any of my pupils!" She walked up to one of the men, unafraid.

_'Wow…even soldiers with laser guns are scared of her…'_ Raditz made a mental note to thank her for buying time, until she looked up and gasped when she saw him, causing the guards to rush over and open the grate.

The boy did his best to crawl backwards with one of them grabbing his arm as he tried to do so, but he was able to shake himself free, and got away, though now he definitely needed to be out of the vents, which he noticed became warmer. He figured that they must have turned up the heat in order to try and flush him out.

_'Well…at least it's not poison gas!' _He tried to look on the bright side; though the vent was uncomfortably warm and he was already pretty exhausted.

At last, he came to the end of a vent, which led to a room where there were no people. He hopped out and noticed a vending machine. _'Well…no-one is after me yet…and I need some energy…'_ He justified, grabbing a chocolate bar and energy drink in his mind, but the machine required a card to be inserted, which Patrol members had. In a fit of rage and frustration he kicked the machine, hoping to destroy it.

The glass was sturdier than he thought, and so was the metal. _'A good blast should do it…'_ He put enough ki into his hands, or so he thought, and fired a direct blast.

"Oops…" He had accidentally blasted through the machine, and into the wall, though he did pick up any remaining snacks, chomping on a chocolate bar as he ran out of the room before he was detected.

The taste of chocolate was always soothing, but his heart was still pumping frantically. There was no way he would become a captive to such evil bastards, and he was going to leave with his tail intact, he was determined to do so. He ran through the halls and by some luck, found a fire exit, leading him to the back of the building, which was much larger than he thought.

The base itself was surrounded in a protective barrier, which was made to keep oxygen in, and others out.

_'I guess there's some way to open it…' _He knew it wouldn't be a good idea to do so now, he could breathe in the aura created by his own ki, sure, but he couldn't maintain it for very long, unlike his father.

Peering from around the corner, he saw mechanics fixing their ship. If he could sneak around them to the front, maybe he could figure out a way to save his friends, but that was much easier said than done, seeing as his armour made him stick out like a sore thumb. _'I'll need a distraction…good thing I'm great at those!'_ Picking up a rock, he attempted his most classic technique, the one he used at the tram station.

_DONK!_

The stone had hit one of the mechanics, knocking him out cold.

_'Oops…I was meant to hit the ship…oh well!'_ Raditz ran out, hoping to make his way across to the door of the entrance hall, but one man turned around and spotted him. The mechanic was about to call for the soldiers using his scouter, but noticed the tail on Raditz, who quickly realised he should use his race to his advantage.

He held two spheres of ki in either hand and ordered them to remove their scouters and disable them. The men did so immediately, then raised their hands. They were scared stiff as Raditz walked up to them, acting as menacing as possible.

"Now, listen up, if you wanna live! You guys are going to set a course for Frieza-79. You know it? The base planet?" They all nodded, rapidly. Raditz smirked upon their obedience, the power he held over them was enjoyable.

Raditz took a moment to finish his master plan in his head, his tail swishing behind him.

"Right…Ok, after that I want you to open the door where my friends are…I need you to make the soldiers chase me, all of them! Then, tell the children to board the ship, which is now fixed, isn't it?" He asked, still holding the blasts in his hand, frightening the men into working.

Raditz scoffed as they got to work, still with the attack readied in his hands as a precautionary measure. Once they were done, Raditz warned them that any funny business would cost them their lives. With that final threat, his plan was put into action.

The men called for the soldiers, who stood at the door. The cunning child gave them the finger, and they rushed for him, but he was prepared.

After downing an energy drink, he was able to stay one step ahead of them. He put on an extra burst of speed when he saw a corner he could hide in, unseen. He dashed for the little gap and the soldiers, who were too far behind, ran past.

_'I don't have much time until they realise!'_ Raditz supposed, as he ran back, the soldiers once again gaining on him.

"C'mon Raditz!" Zaffra yelled from the door of the ship as it was about to launch. The mechanics had shut off the barrier protecting him from the dangers of the vacuum of space and he had just enough oxygen left to leap into the air, to grab the ship before the doors closed. He put every ounce of strength into the jump, and before he floated into the cosmos, Haryana came forward to grab his hand, saving him.

The doors slammed shut and the ship zoomed off at a rapid speed; thrusting the boys into the wall, where they were helped by Zarbon, who Raditz was aching to talk to, he had so many questions on his mind, so many that he didn't realise it was Haryana who had come to his rescue. Before Raditz could go to thank him, he was dragged to his seat by his master who strapped him in before the anti-gravity could kick in.

"Master-" He was about to fire a question at him but was shushed by the general, who adjusted his jewellery.

"We won't speak of it, Raditz." He sternly warned his student.

"But-" He started, only to be shot down.

"Do not interfere with my matters, I am angry with you already!" Raditz was unsure about how his master could feel that way, it made him rather furious instead.

"Whaddya mean?! I'm the one who saved us all with my genius plan!" He proudly boasted, commending himself.

"You were the one who put everyone in danger! Your reckless behaviour almost led to your death, and the deaths of your friends!"

Raditz looked down at his lap, knowing his master was indeed right.

"Now, I'll admit you were very lucky and able to get us out of there alive, but you must learn to control yourself and listen to what people tell you!" He scolded the boy, who didn't want to hear any more of the things being said, those words yelled into his ears plenty of times before.

"What was up with you and that crazy lady?" He accused him, and Zarbon took a deep breath before stating, "Raditz, I know you are a very curious child, and I admire your burning passion to learn, but there are things that you will not understand as you are, and you will never…_ever_ talk about such things." Zarbon had a smile on his face, but his tone was far from delighted; more threatening than anything.

The two were quiet for a while, but there was no silence in Raditz's mind.

"But…I still don't understand…" He started again.

"Understand what?" His master spoke through gritted teeth, fed up with everything.

"Why did Haryana save me?" He inquired, as he heard him and his friends laughing at the back of the ship.

"Well, how am I meant to know?!" His master snapped, then sighed, "Ask him later, just…please be quiet…I've already got a headache."

"Were you drinking?" Raditz asked, speaking softly.

"What? No, of course not! Why would I drink anything from the Galactic Patrol, it could be poisoned! Besides, I'm conducting a now cancelled school trip, why would I drink around children?!" Zarbon was baffled; and sounded almost offended that Raditz would suggest such a thing, but the boy supposed his master was only acting like this because he was tired.

"Well, my parents used to get headaches after drinking a lot, my mother especially. I remember…my mother passed out, and I thought she was dead. I was like…3, but I'm not as stupid now!" He nervously laughed.

"They would _really_ get drunk around you?" Zarbon gasped.

"Not all the time...when my father would come home from work, my parents used to send me to my Aunt's house so that they could spend the evening together, without me bothering them. But…yeah, sometimes they'd drink, and it used to be so funny…unless they got angry." Raditz grinned, remembering such fond memories.

"What about now? What do you think about Prince Vegeta and Nappa?" His master, once again, was interested in his life. Raditz paused, trying to form an answer that was polite enough, yet truthful.

"I mean…Nappa had children…I _think_…so he knows how to look after us and teach us. He favours Vegeta…but that's understandable. I think Nappa is interesting though, he tells us stories of battle and Saiyan history…like my Papa did."

"And the little prince?"

"I guess he's what I expected…super strong…but kinda bratty." Zarbon chuckled and Raditz continued, "He's everything a Saiyan child should be, so I'm gonna do my best to be like him…but less arrogant. Are…_all_ royals like that?" He asked, and Zarbon replied with, "Well…what do you think of me? I'm a prince too, you know?"

"Really?!" He exclaimed. "I guess that kinda explains it…not you being a jerk, you aren't! But…you _are_ posh…and fancy and you've got…um...what's that word again?"

"Etiquette." He answered.

"Yeah! That…thing!"

They continued having their conversation for the rest of the journey, which made time seem to blow by.

As he walked back into the dreadful school building, other children surrounded him, thanking him, making Raditz feel incredibly popular.

"Did Haryana really save you!?" La'tei laughed. "I thought I was going crazy!"

Raditz told him he was just as shocked, and asked how they escaped when they ran from the bar.

"We didn't know where you went, we just ran back the way we came and stopped to get changed. We thought we were safe and came out of that room, but they caught us, and took us back after asking where you were." Zaffra explained.

"What did you tell them?" Raditz asked, as he put his bag on his shoulder.

"We just said we didn't know, and they believed us, but we wouldn't have snitched on you anyway." La'tei answered, gathering his stuff too.

The children were dismissed early, but La'tei and Raditz had to wait for Moka and Vegeta. Raditz caught sight of Haryana, and decided to go up to him, despite all of La'tei's warnings.

"Hey!" The Saiyan called out to him. Haryana rolled his eyes, and told his friends to go ahead of him.

"What do you want?" Electric sparks shot from his fingertips as he put his hands on his hips, full of attitude.

"To say thanks…for grabbing me and saving me." Raditz couldn't even believe his own words, he never thought he would be thanking Haryana, of all people.

"Uh, you're welcome I guess…but this doesn't change anything. See ya." He turned and was about to speed off into the distance but Raditz stopped him.

"Wait!" He yelled. He paused, a part of him not wanting to ask the question burning in his mind.

"Well?!" Haryana hurried him; eyebrows raised.

"Why'd you save me?" There was an awkward silence before Haryana sighed, "Because there's no way I'm done with you! I'm gonna make you pay for taking away my opportunity!" He poked Raditz in the chest, causing a sharp jolt of electricity to surge through him.

"What are you talking about?!" He raised an eyebrow, as he pushed Haryana off of him.

"Don't act like you don't know, idiot!" With that, he stormed off, and Raditz couldn't care less.

_'For a minute there I thought he was actually gonna stop being an asshole…but I guess assholes are always assholes.__'_

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"I'm _telling_ you! She was _insane!"_ Raditz exclaimed, as he rambled on about the failed trip, though in hindsight, it made it even more fun.

"You were really in a Galactic Patrol base?" Nappa asked, somewhat enthralled with the child's story, even if parts of it were greatly exaggerated or completely made up.

"Yeah, it was weird!" He answered, as he slurped some ramen.

"I bet you were scared! That's why you ran!" Vegeta teased, as he ate with impeccable table manners.

"No, I wasn't!" Raditz defended himself.

"If you weren't afraid, then why didn't you fight more, and avenge all the Saiyans killed by them?" The prince smirked, and Raditz growled, knowing what would come next. "Oh, wait! You're too weak to fight back!" He chuckled spitefully, and Nappa changed the subject, noticing Raditz's obvious anger in the way he flicked his tail.

"So…uh…when will you have the actual trip?" The man put more food into his plate, scraping the bottom of the bowl of leftovers. Raditz shrugged his shoulders, telling him that it would be a few weeks at least, after he swallowed the copious amount of food in his mouth.

"Those Patrol bastards…" Nappa grumbled, through clenched teeth.

"Did…they kill someone you knew?" Raditz inquired, and Vegeta rolled his eyes, whispering to Raditz, "You shouldn't have got him started."

Nappa sighed, "Don't worry…I've learnt to let it go… I won't bore you with some sob story." He added a fake laugh, which fooled no-one.

The rest of dinner was eaten in complete silence, apart from the TV in the background.

Time marched onwards, and soon Raditz went to bed. Though exhausted from the day's events, he still felt restless. Despite the number of questions he asked, there was always something else he wanted to know; especially concerning Haryana, and what he had said earlier. The world was full of secrets, he believed. People were constantly hiding something; even him. Raditz vowed he would find out their secrets, like a detective solving a case.

Little did he know that in the weeks to come he would be uncovering a dangerous secret… one of the PTO's many atrocities…


	15. Small Victories

**congrats, you've made it to chapter 15 and to the 6th month of this terrible year!****as always, remember to review and share or whatever...check out my other fic if you want idk, might pass your time :)****enjoy another episode of this shitshow!**

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A couple of weeks flew by.

During this time, Raditz and his friends felt like they had finally settled in, despite there still being some issues regarding other pupils, the teachers, and how boring the work was for most of the time.

Nothing had been said about the trip, but Raditz was rewarded for his quick thinking, even though he did cause a lot of trouble.

"See? I told you I wasn't lying, look at this special badge they gave me!" He showed it off to Vegeta and Nappa after a brilliant day at the academy, where he had bragged to everyone else. It was a purple metallic badge, with the PTO logo. There were other badges too, symbolizing different achievements, and Raditz was the first to earn one that year.

Of course, other people became envious, and Haryana was determined to outdo him. Raditz was furious upon hearing that Haryana had the best scores on all the tests, which they had to do before they had a mid-term break. His rival had even received a badge like his, but with a blue background instead. Raditz's competitive nature made him determined to earn another badge, to prove a point, and to show that he was the best.

On the last day, there was an announcement during assembly. The rest of that day was surprisingly fun; with the class being allowed to watch a movie instead of doing another tiresome test, so Raditz wasn't bothered by the idea of an assembly lasting half an hour-- even if it was given by their Headmistress, Berryblue. It was better than doing equations, and he would be allowed to go home afterwards to enjoy a week of freedom. However, there was something about it Raditz just could not trust.

"Starting from the first week back, you will all have an injection!" The children broke into chatter, before being silenced by the adults.

"I know, it sounds a little scary…but it's for your health, dear children! This injection will most likely become a routine thing, so those of you who are afraid can get over your fears, hm?" The kids seemed rather sceptical.

"Heh, only a real baby is scared of a needle!"

He laughed with his friends on the way out of school. At that moment, Moka came running up to his brother, sobbing, "I don't wanna have an injection! I-I hate this place, I don't wanna come back!" He threw himself into La'tei's arms and wailed.

Raditz did think Moka was a crybaby, but he couldn't blame him, he didn't have Saiyan blood making him strong like he was. Vegeta rolled his eyes and walked ahead with Raditz, who said his goodbyes to Zaffra.

"Jeez…I hope Moka is alright." She said, looking back at the two brothers.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine…I hope he doesn't faint when we get the injection, that happened to one of my friends on Planet Vegeta." Raditz told her, plucking a leaf from a bush casually as they exited the school gates. Other children brushed past them, bumping into each other, causing Vegeta to growl.

The pair continued having their conversation, Vegeta lagging behind, getting caught up in the large crowd, strolling along with no urgency. Finally, Vegeta had enough and yelled, "Raditz, can you stop talking to your girlfriend so we can go home, away from these other disgusting brats?!"

Raditz and Zaffra blushed hard and Zaffra giggled, telling Vegeta he was sweet. Raditz exclaimed that she was not his girlfriend, clearly embarrassed, and Zaffra went home, diffusing the awkward moment.

Moka had calmed down, though he was still sniffling on the tram; streaks of tears had stained his round cheeks.

"Guys, isn't it weird how they didn't specify what the injection was for?" Raditz asked after pondering on it for a long time. Vegeta huffed and brushed his question aside with, "Why do you care?!"

"Yeah, I think we should just take our minds off it." La'tei suggested, and Raditz didn't say anymore, he could see it would only frighten Moka further.

Once they returned home, Miss Kafi offered to take Vegeta and Raditz to an ice cream parlour with her two sons.

"I think it would be a lovely reward, seeing as you've all done so well in school!" She smiled, and told Raditz and Vegeta to ask if they were allowed to go, and if so, they would leave in a few hours after dinner. Nappa had to agree after all of Raditz's begging. Vegeta didn't show that he was bothered, he kept his arms folded and said nothing.

The boys went back down to the basement, where Miss Kafi and her children were getting ready.

"Don't you two have jackets, or at least a scarf? It's pretty cold tonight… I'm starting to rethink the whole ice cream thing, but I think the diner has warm desserts!" She asked them, worrying needlessly.

"Nah," Raditz replied, "We'll be fine! I've been on super cold planets before!" Her sparkling wings pushed through the fabric of her jacket, and as she draped the scarf around her neck, she asked about what flavour ice cream they wanted.

"They literally have every flavour there! And tons of toppings!" She seemed even more delighted than the boys and Vegeta stated he didn't care, as long as there were lots of sprinkles.

"I didn't think someone so grumpy would like something so cheerful!" She laughed, and Vegeta just rolled his eyes.

Soon, they were all ready to leave.

As they were stepping out of the building through a secret back entrance in the building; which Miss Kafi joked was a secret portal, a harsh breeze brushed past them.

"See, I told you it was a secret portal! A portal into…" Kafi hesitated, and let go of Moka's hand for a second.

"Dessert land!" Moka suggested and ran down the streets to where the diner was.

"Moka! Slow down!" She ran after him, and the others followed.

A vehicle zoomed down the narrow streets, it's blinding lights shining on Moka, who froze up. Just before Moka was hit by the hovership, Kafi had grabbed him and pulled him close, her movement was much quicker than Raditz could see.

Breathing heavy, she calmed Moka who was in tears, apologising.

"Moka, this is why I tell you to be careful and not run off!" She brushed his tears away with her finger. They continued their journey, carefully this time, and ended up in a diner at the end of the street with a broken neon sign above it.

"Welcome to Bean Diner!" A woman, who looked a lot like Kafi ushered them in. As the boys sat in a booth near the window, the city outside still bustling even as the sun was setting, Miss Kafi hugged the woman who welcomed them in.

"That's our Aunt Rabika!" La'tei revealed, and the resemblance was clear to Raditz. "She owns this place." He added, and Moka mentioned,

"Yeah! She's the best because we get lots of free stuff!" Raditz inspected the menu carefully, his mouth watered, though he had eaten dinner not long ago. He hardly ate it, since it was quite frankly disgusting, but he didn't dare say it to Nappa's face, yet it was apparent that none of the Saiyans enjoyed the meal, which says a lot.

"So, what are you guys havin'?" Rabika clicked her pen and held her notepad. Moka and La'tei got their usual order which was an ice cream sundae they shared. Vegeta got something a little fancy, being a prince, though he warned the waitress not to forget to put on a shitload of sprinkles. Raditz's eye was drawn to the largest sundae on the menu. It had all his favourite flavours, sherbet, ribbons of raspberry and strawberry sauce, a gratuitous dusting of cotton candy and sprinkles, all of which were bound to give him a lasting sugar rush.

"Raditz, honey, are you sure you want that? Will you finish it all?" Miss Kafi inquired, but he was adamant on getting it, he deserved it after all the bullshit he had been through for the past few months.

Rabika insisted on paying for it all, despite Kafi saying he didn't need to do that. In the end, Kafi paid for Raditz and Vegeta and her sister paid for her nephews. Raditz was sure to thank Kafi for her kindness, saying his parents would never have bought him all this, which wasn't entirely true.

When the dessert finally arrived, it was much larger than Raditz was initially expecting, but he wasn't at all daunted by it, he wasted no time in digging in, licking the sauce and whipped cream from his lips, grinning. Vegeta even had a faint smile across his face as his mouth gradually became covered in rainbow sprinkles and Kafi tried a little bit of everyone's. Raditz and Vegeta did not resist sharing a little bit with her, an unusual thing for Saiyans to do; children especially, but both boys were taught the importance of gratitude at a young age, and so, complied.

"Moka, you're getting sauce all over you!" Kafi exclaimed, leaning over the table to wipe the little boy's mouth. She then did the same to La'tei, who protested, feeling embarrassed by his mother's doting. Upon seeing this, Raditz remembered his own mother. He recalled the days where she would walk him to the school gates and would make a fuss over his appearance; always making him have to push her away, to maintain his image. He sometimes wished he didn't.

He wondered if Vegeta ever missed his mother, who had died 2 years before their planet exploded. Raditz presumed he didn't, the prince was too cold for that. He was stronger than Raditz was, the only emotion he let harbour him seemed to be his anger, which was understandable.

Raditz decided to stop dwelling on the past and those around him, and kept eating the ice cream, regretting choosing it after a while; it was so sugary, but still delicious. Besides, if he didn't finish he would look stupid after he was so insistent earlier on finishing the whole thing. Though rather sickly, the dessert brought him some sort of pleasure, still rewarding his victory, though a small one, but his mother always said that even small victories were worth recognising.

Once everyone had finished, they left, thanking Rabika again, who seemed like a pretty cool aunt to have. _'She's still not as cool as my Aunt Salfy!' _He grinned, remembering her as he walked back through the streets, the lamps above him providing light and warmth, though were still no match for the chilly Autumn night. His Aunt was named Salsafie, the name of the Saiyan goddess of luck and fate, as well as the moon, but his infant tongue could not pronounce it properly, so he called her that. He never could believe she was his father's little sister, she was boisterous and laid-back, unlike his father who was a very serious man. Raditz always liked staying with her, she was more like an older cousin or sister than an aunt, responsibility not being her strongest point.

She was going to be married later that summer and Raditz couldn't wait, mostly to have all the delicious food at the ceremony, but he would most likely have missed it, since he had to spend his summer with his comrades.

Raditz once again shook off those thoughts, such sentimentality would surely disappoint those he knew, and when they had reached home, the warmth of indoors feeling incredibly welcoming, Raditz went straight to his room. He decided to do all his homework then, so he wouldn't have to worry in the coming week and when it was all done, he tried to go to sleep, the sick feeling in his stomach from earlier having subsided by then. However, the sugar coursing through his veins was preventing him from staying still. Miss Kafi had offered for the boys to stay and play with her sons for a while, but Vegeta had strongly and somewhat impolitely declined, and Raditz was dragged off with him.

Raditz sat up in his rather wonky bed. The level of discomfort took some getting used to, but by this point it hardly bothered him. Peering out of the door, he found that Nappa was passed out on the couch, and he heard no noise from Vegeta's room, so he went back into his room and opened the creaky window with some force. He soared into the night sky, just as he had done before, the harsh winds hitting him from every angle, but he kept going, eventually reaching the cliff.

Sitting in the cave, he read back through his notebook, drowsiness taking over him. He wasn't sure of the time but figured he must have fallen asleep sooner or later, the last page he held open was the one with a crudely drawn picture of his family, and he stared at it for a while, imagining himself at the fancy dinner party he drew on the page.

* * *

The week was beginning to fly by. Though he was being bothered constantly by Nappa and Vegeta, Raditz preferred it to being at school. He played with Moka and La'tei most of the time, and went to the park with them, the same one where the fight had occurred, and they invited Zaffra too. Vegeta obviously had no interest in their childish games that relied heavily on imagination -- which was unbefitting for a saiyan prince.

On Wednesday, he was invited to Zarbon's grand mansion in the posher part of town. Nappa didn't want Raditz going there, especially not on his own. The Saiyan child was surprised that the general even cared that much, but didn't want to seem immature, so by using his smooth-talking ways, he persuaded his guardian to allow the trip. Nappa ordered him to be back by 3pm and no later, and to buy the groceries they were in desperate need of; hardly any food was left in the house by this time, and they didn't have much money either, but Raditz was always very good at haggling the prices at the markets on Planet Vegeta.

Just as he was leaving Vegeta scoffed, "Zarbon really has nothing better to do than train some low class? Hmph, here I was thinking he was intelligent!" The prince taunted him, and there was nothing he could do about it, as always. Raditz just sighed and ignored it before leaving, ensuring he had everything. He decided to make his way to Zarbon's first, the shopping could wait until later.

The tram was packed as usual, Raditz was lucky enough to get a seat, but he gave it up when a pregnant lady arrived. She thanked him, and gave him a sweet from her bag; it was a lemon sherbet, not one of his particular favourites but it was good nonetheless, especially since he had nothing to eat that morning, all except a glass of tap water which tasted horrendous. He hoped Zarbon would have a banquet laid out for him when he arrived, one as wonderful as the last.

The button at the door buzzed, and Zarbon pleasantly asked who it was, despite him already being able to see Raditz from the hidden cameras around his palace. Raditz, in the most polite way he could muster, impressing his teacher, introduced himself in the way he was taught, and the gates opened. Raditz was astounded by the garden and its beauty, rivaling the private gardens of Queen Echalotte on Planet Vegeta.

Before he could knock on the oak door, Zarbon opened it up. He ushered the boy in, sipping on a glass of one of the universe's finest wines in a similar fashion to Lord Frieza. Snapping his fingers, Zarbon called for one of his many servants, who took away the empty wine glass and held up trays of various foods, all were dainty, bite-sized morsels that almost looked too good to eat, but not to a starving Saiyan boy. He munched on them in a way that repulsed the servants who followed Raditz and his master as they walked through the hall.

"And this, my boy, is a room bearing my many awards!" Zarbon was giving him a house tour and led him into a room filled with medals, trophies and various priceless objects. Raditz didn't really care, as long as he was able to keep eating, he was happy to let his master brag about himself. As he scanned the room, one shiny trophy in the center caught his eye. During his master's long monologue about one of his awards, Raditz walked up to the trophy; its glittering central jewel mesmerizing him. Just as he was going to touch the purple crystal in the center, Zarbon stopped him, catching the trophy that had fallen from its stand just in the nick of time.

"Raditz, please be more careful!" Zarbon sighed, carefully putting it back. Raditz apologised, but his curiosity led him to ask about it.

"Well, I won this in my final year of school, after my tournament victory!" Raditz's eyes widened, finally his master had an interesting story linked to fighting.

"Yes, I remember it like it was yesterday, I was of course in the top division. Lord Frieza and his father were in the crowd, watching my every move! It was difficult to hold my nerve, but I won, and that's when Lord Frieza decided that I would serve right alongside him…it was a glorious day…and now…look at me." Zarbon gestured to the magnificent building he was in.

"But you were already rich…right?" Raditz was confused. As he continued snacking, Zarbon gave him a pearl of wisdom.

"Well yes, but…my job is worth more than money to me...and experience is always worth more than any amount of wealth, Raditz. Remember that." With that, they left the room and after Zarbon had shown him the rest of his house, which had so many rooms, Raditz thought that it would be a miracle to not get lost everyday, as he was taken into his private training room.

It was even more fancy than the one in school, and had different buttons and knobs to control the conditions with it.

"Are we going to spar today, master?!" He inquired, his tail wagging excitedly.

"Well…since you showed up in your armour…and you most definitely have the energy after devouring that food, yes, why not?" Raditz got into a stance but was told to wait by his master, who needed to get his armour. Alone in the frigid, sterile room, Raditz inspected the buttons on the panels, imagining what they did. He resisted the temptation to touch them, recalling his master warning him to be careful earlier.

Finally, Zarbon came back, ready to face the boy, who; in his head was going over all the advice people had given him, something he did before every battle, even if he did get confused sometimes.

"I'll let you make the first move, boy." Zarbon readied himself for attack and Raditz sprung forward, his right fist about to connect with Zarbon's jaw, but his master was far quicker than him, something he should have expected. Catching his fist, Zarbon counter-attacked, delivering a blow to the boy's side.

Raditz recoiled, clutching where he had been hit, the pain driving him on. He launched at his master again, but he didn't realise his tail had become unfurled; he had lost control of it once the pain overcame him. Zarbon grabbed his tail, not too hard that the child would pass out, but enough that it would prevent him from moving.

"Aren't you monkeys told about the downfalls of having a tail?!" He mocked him, but then let go after Raditz had fallen to his knees. Feeling dizzy, he was able to stand and regain control of his senses.

His master fired a blast at a higher speed than he was expecting, but his sharp Saiyan instincts allowed him to dodge, which surprised him.

_'I bet my Papa would be proud of that one!'_ He didn't have much time to reminisce about his father's training sessions, which mostly consisted of him yelling at the boy and giving up on him, no, Raditz needed to fire back.

Raditz leapt back, he needed more distance from Zarbon, who made a start for him, if he was going to be able to pull his attack off. Charging the beams as much as he could, though not to their full potential he jumped up and fired his signature 'Double Sunday' attack, one of the blasts hitting Zarbon's arm. Blood streaked down the arms of the teal-skinned alien, he growled but then went back to his calm demeanour and chuckled.

"I wasn't expecting such a move from you, boy, but it seems you've surprised me once again." Raditz landed, thanking his master for the compliment, but as he did so Zarbon unexpectedly attacked him, knocking him to the floor.

"Don't let your guard down!" Zarbon reminded him. Getting back on his feet, Raditz fired another blast, though with much less power than earlier. Zarbon flicked it back at him using a swift arm motion, and Raditz tried to do the same, but hit it towards the ground instead of back at Zarbon.

When he was younger, Raditz and his father would practise ki volleys together. It took awhile for the boy to get the hang of it, usually he got frustrated and gave up, but soon he was able to deflect ki blasts of a reasonable size and strength. He compared it to how fathers would play catch with their sons on TV shows, but this was before Lord Frieza had come in and made life harder for them; no longer were there times of relaxation on Planet Vegeta, everyone had to be hard at work and any spare time his father had left was usually dedicated to drinking with his friends, training, or spending it with his wife.

Those memories felt a little sad to Raditz now, but he didn't allow himself to be distracted by it, no, he continued to spar with his master, who he thought had a similar air of grace to Vegeta when fighting.

_'Must be the fancy-ness!' _He supposed, and then smirked, realising he had an opportunity to fire another special move.

Gathering the energy in his hands, the feeling of it building up excited him, the rush of battle getting to him, he was able to launch the attack, laughing, "Here's a present!" This was a line he tended to use when he was confident in his attack, a little taunt when firing, adding insult to injury, yet just like earlier his master was able to shock him with his abilities. Zarbon repelled the attack with his bare hands. As it hit the walls around them, the energy dissipated into them.

Slightly disappointed, Raditz took a moment to catch his breath, feeling rather exhausted. Noticing this, Zarbon decided to stop their training session. After getting themselves fixed up, neither of them really bothered by their injuries, both warriors knowing that pain was only temporary, Zarbon took his student to his balcony. On it, was a delectable looking lunch fit for royalty, which Zarbon was, but Raditz was far from being, set out on a table.

"I do hope you didn't spoil your appetite earlier!" Zarbon smiled, sitting down on one of the chairs. A cushion was put on Raditz's chair, to elevate him above the high table. It was a warm day for the time of year, the breeze only mild and the sun did show itself from time to time as they ate the meal.

Zarbon did his best to teach Raditz proper table manners, but it was difficult for the boy who would much rather dig in to the meal than eat slowly and act all posh, like an elite. His father wouldn't like it. There wasn't much to talk about between the two until Zarbon mentioned the injections.

"So, you aren't scared of needles or anything?" His master inquired, sipping some more wine. Raditz shook his head and was about to ask his master something but Zarbon had already added, "Oh, and I wouldn't be so glum about going back to school! After you get your first injections, the Ginyu Force will be visiting school! How fun!"

Raditz nodded, wanting to shift back to the injections.

"Uh, Master Zarbon? What are the injections _for__?_ And…why did you say first? Do we have more?" Raditz fired questions at him, curiosity getting the better of him, and Zarbon almost gagged on his wine.

"What is it with you and your questions, hm? Did no-one ever tell you that curiosity killed the Zlikat?" Zarbon joked, and Raditz sassily responded with, "Did no-one ever tell you that satisfaction brought it back? Besides…it's not like there's anything to hide, so why not tell me?" Raditz was tempted to grin cockily, but needed to be more inconspicuous, like a detective on TV finding out a secret.

Zarbon put down his glass and nervously chuckled.

"Yes…I suppose you're right…"

Raditz leaned forward in his chair, ready to hear what his master had to say. "I don't really know much about it to be honest, but there will be more, perhaps monthly or even weekly if they're proven to be effective…the injections are meant to help with your development and health, mentally mostly. There are a few side effects, I hear, but I think it will benefit you!" Raditz couldn't be sure if Zarbon was lying or not, but thanked him for telling him, even though his information wasn't all that sufficient. Zarbon didn't know what was in the injections, saying that was for the doctors and nurses to know.

Following this, they had some desserts; small treats like earlier, which reminded him of when he would have picnics on the beach with his mother. All was swell until Raditz remembered that he needed to do the shopping and be back by 3pm.

"Master, what time is it?" Raditz asked, hiding any signs of panic.

"2:30, why? It is hardly late, I was hoping to help you further your studies and-" Zarbon answered but was cut off by Raditz who stood from his seat apologising.

He felt like the princess from that story his mother told him when he was younger, as he ran down the steps and to the door, though his shoe didn't fall off.

He was desperately hoping he wouldn't miss the next tram.

Zarbon stopped him and asked why he was in such a hurry, and Raditz told him in a way that wasn't very clear, since he was panicking that he had to hurry home with the shopping, otherwise Nappa would be angry at him.

"Relax…I'm sure it'll be fine! I'll give you some stuff to take, do you have a shopping list?" Raditz was in shock, but pulled out the list.

"Uh, it's all in Saiyan…I'll read it…but are you really ok with giving your food to Saiyans, there's a lot on the list!" Raditz mentioned, but Zarbon insisted, saying that doing charity work makes you feel good about yourself, and that he often donated money to others, but Raditz couldn't be sure of that.

Raditz read out the list to Zarbon's servants who gathered everything he needed, putting it all into a bag. The Saiyan said not to get anything too fancy otherwise he'd be suspected of stealing, and the servants did their best to do so. When he had everything he needed, Raditz was told that there would be a driver outside for him in a hovership.

"This is my private hovership!" Zarbon showed him, after leading Raditz outside. The boy was in awe, the vehicle was huge and fancy, he couldn't believe he was going home in it.

"I guess I'll see you on Monday, Master Zarbon! Thank you so much for all of this, how can I ever repay you?" Raditz said from out the window, and Zarbon replied, "Oh, don't worry, my boy! Your company is enough!" He waved goodbye, and Raditz speeded off in luxury, putting his feet up on the comfy seats and watching TV in the back of the ship, where parts of it opened, revealing snacks in the compartments.

_'This is the life!'_ Raditz thought, as he shoved a handful of sweets in his mouth.

As he stepped out of the ship and thanked the driver, everyone on the street stared in shock at the little low-class, who had a large bag full of groceries, and had just come out of the private ship of Frieza's right hand man. He casually walked inside, not catching on to the whispers of others, and went to the apartment, where Vegeta and Nappa were suspicious.

"Why are you guys looking at me like that?" Raditz raised an eyebrow, and went to stock the shelves with food.

"Raditz…why do you have food from Zarbon's house, and why the hell were you in that ship?!" Nappa yelled, and Raditz rolled his eyes, "Well, isn't it obvious?! He let me take it for a ride home and gave me the stuff so I'd be home on time!"

"How much do we need to pay him back!?" Nappa exclaimed when he saw some of the more expensive items, but Raditz told him to relax. Vegeta scowled but Raditz told himself that Vegeta was just jealous of him; which was unlikely.

For the rest of the day, Raditz went to play with Moka and La'tei, who asked all about it. Of course, Raditz had to exaggerate to make it seem even more impressive than it already was, and after bragging to almost everyone in the building, he went to his secret cave at night again, and wrote the details of the story down in his little notebook so that he wouldn't forget when school started again in a few days.

That way, he could make sure all his classmates were in awe of him, Haryana especially. Though it was a fun day, he was still uneasy about the injections, Zarbon's answers had hardly helped in any way at all, but the following day he told his friends about it, and together they decided that they would investigate it when they went back, which brought some excitement to an otherwise boring event.

_However, their inquisitive nature and strong will would be met with the powers of authority…but just what was there to hide?_


	16. More Bizzare Than A Ginyu Pose

**hi its me again please love me **

* * *

When their week off had come to an end, Raditz and his group of friends had to return to school once more, dragging their feet and wishing they didn't have to go, as every child did; longing for Friday to arrive.

"So, when do you think we're gonna get stabbed in the arm?" Zaffra asked, half-joking.

"S-stabbed?!" Moka exclaimed, frightened as always.

"We aren't getting stabbed, Moka! It's just a little pinprick, it'll only hurt for a second." La'tei calmed down his younger sibling and Raditz added, "Yeah! You'll be fine! I've had _tons_ of injections before!" He boasted, acting all brave, which somewhat helped.

Raditz chuckled, "On the day I left Planet Vegeta, I saw my baby brother and I tripped into a cabinet, then a needle fell and jabbed him in the arm! He screamed really loudly, because he was a dumb baby, but he was fine." His story didn't exactly reassure Moka, but at least he tried.

At registration, the class was buzzing with conversation; kids telling each other about what they did on their week off, some were on holiday or visiting family, but others working or training, which was to be expected. Some of the children were obviously nervous about the injections, but the news of the Ginyu Force coming to visit lessened their anxieties.

_'Oh, yeah! I forgot about them!'_ Raditz thought, after Miss Croe made the announcement. She then registered them and off they went to the assembly hall, sitting roughly in the middle, due to the children's age, in front of the other classes in that year group, theirs being the weakest.

Chatter filled the large assembly hall, reverberating and bringing a sense of chaos that not even the teachers could dispel to the event.

"I can't believe the Ginyu Force are really here!" La'tei peered over the heads of others, trying to look at the stage properly, where the Force would most likely do all their brilliant poses.

Raditz didn't really like the Ginyu Force and neither did Vegeta, who was sitting somewhere near the front, his flame-like hair sticking out. Raditz thought that they were like the special squadrons in cartoons, but the Force's poses were weird and so were their ways of fighting. However, Raditz was slightly excited, because Jeice had joined the force. Jeice had been a hero to him ever since he saw him in the Spaceball leagues on TV. His special move, Crusher Ball, had been imitated by the boy many times on his home planet. Unfortunately, whenever Raditz attempted it, it tended to go very wrong, his ball had even made a hole through the roof of his house once. Jeice was rather young, only in his late teens, but his strength was admirable, and so Captain Ginyu asked him to join.

"Alright, children, let's settle down!" Berryblue spoke from the podium but the children were too giddy to stop chatting away.

"Children! Let's be quiet now, so we can welcome our guests!" She tried again, raising her voice slightly.

Even then, they hardly took any notice.

"SILENCE!" She screeched and the children, now filled with fear, obeyed her commands.

Berryblue cleared her throat and began, "Good morning everyone! It is wonderful to see you all back after a well-deserved break, safe and well! Lord Frieza thanks you all for your excellent behaviour last half-term and for your efforts!"

"Ugh, doesn't she ever just shut up and get to the point?!" Raditz groaned to his friends, keeping his voice quiet.

"As a reward, I have begged Lord Frieza to call the Ginyu Force in today, who will be giving special tasks to each year group! The winners of each task in every class will win a special prize from the Force!" Berryblue informed the children, making them begin to talk once more. She began again, making them shut up, "Ahem! We wanted to give you this reward before your break, but unfortunately the Force was busy performing duties for Lord Frieza!"

"I bet they were kissing his lizard-y ass!" Raditz jokes; making his friends giggle, until a teacher gave them a harsh glare.

"So, without further ado, may I proudly present The Ginyu Force!"

Screens opened up on various parts of the hall so that the children could see easily, and the speakers blared their theme song, which started with a repetition of the line: "Ginyu Force rules!"

Surprisingly, the children were all in stunned silence as the curtains were pulled open and out came Recoome, singing his verse of the song, and posing. The children whooped and cheered as the song continued, the force gradually coming on stage, freezing in their poses and waiting for the next person to do their part.

It was rather entertaining, just like how they were on the television, but this time it was a live stage performance. Raditz felt elated when Jeice came on stage, flipping his long hair and making all the girls go crazy. Raditz often hated his own hair, it was so wild and long, and people used to make fun of him, but he was inspired by Jeice. He promised himself he would make his hero proud.

_'I've got to win the competition in my class!'_ Raditz was certain he could, but the others seemed eager too; Haryana an obvious contender for the prize.

Finally, the song was over and whilst the girls all went crazy over Jeice, Raditz turned his attention to the other members. There was Burter, who was known to be the fastest in the universe. Recoome, a large, burly man, who had posed elegantly throughout the show and Jeice, by far his favourite. There was also a short girl called Bonyu, the only female member of the force and, of course, the famous Captain Ginyu, known universally for his ability to switch bodies with others. Currently, Ginyu was in a body with blue skin, small spikes atop his head, and a long, scaly tail, which he incorporated into his pose.

"Good morning PTO Junior Academy!" Ginyu's voice bellowed in the hall. The children greeted them back as they were taught: to stand up, place their right hand over their chest and to bow, whilst saying 'good morning, sir'.

"So, I hear you're having some injections today?" He asked, clasping his hands together and scanning the room full of young kids looking up at him. They nodded in unison, as if in a trance and Bonyu patronised them, "Wow! You're all so brave!"

"Yeah, not even the big guy here will have one!" Burter pointed to Recoome, laughing.

"Hey!" Recoome realised after a minute, his slow, dim-witted nature making the children giggle.

"Don't worry, mates! After it's over, you get to go back to class and do a fun task we've set for each year group!" Jeice spoke at last, making the girls swoon.

"Hehe, he's so cute!" Zaffra muttered, blushing and Raditz scoffed, "Why? He's got a stupid accent!" He didn't know why he felt the need to say that, as he too admired Jeice.

"You've got a stupid accent too!" Zaffra retorted and Raditz began to feel a little self-conscious about it.

He turned to La'tei and asked, "Is…my accent stupid?" In response, La'tei mocked him by repeating the same question in a Saiyan accent, making Raditz frustrated. La'tei was going to apologise but soon the assembly was over and it seemed like they had missed some important information.

The children returned to their classrooms, even more rambunctious as before. Miss Croe reminded them that any more misbehaviour would mean that their entry would be disqualified and repeated the instructions the force gave to their class.

"You will each get a sheet to design yourself as a member of the Ginyu Force! Draw yourself in their armour, and in your own unique pose, then fill in the questions on the sheet. If you are not a fighter, you may make up the powers you have, but if you are, then you may use that. If you finish, you can also make up lyrics to your own verse of their theme song! The winner will be announced by Friday!" She handed out the sheets but before they could even begin thinking about what they were going to design, the class was called back into the hall where the injections were taking place.

The class stood in registration order, Raditz just in front of Haryana. Raditz didn't technically have a last name, it was just put as Saiyan. At the front of the line stood La'tei, or at least he was there the last time Raditz looked over, peering above the heads of others, which was easy for a boy who was taller than most.

Raditz scanned the room. His friend wasn't having his injection by the looks of it, and his turn hadn't already passed. Turning to his left, Raditz saw Moka, slowly sipping water as he sat up, La'tei helping him.

"Pfft! What a baby!" Haryana sneered and Raditz tried to ignore him. "Only such a weakling would faint at the sight of a needle! If _my_ brother ever saw me passing out over something so insignificant, he'd beat me!" Haryana laughed, as if that was something to be proud of.

Once Moka was ok and went back to class, La'tei returned to the line, and went to get his injection. Walking back past the line, La'tei told Raditz it was fine and made his way back to class. Again, Haryana mocked him, "Imagine being friends with losers like_ that!"_

"At least my friends aren't mindless idiots who just follow whatever some asshole with money says!" Raditz retorted, leaving Haryana stunned, finally shutting him up.

When it was at last his turn to be injected, he was somewhat nervous, but calmed himself, knowing his fears were silly. The nurse asked him a few things, involving the question about any prior medicine and Raditz failed to mention the whole Xenatine incident, though not due to a bad memory. He removed his heavy jumper and rolled up the top of his sleeve a little, the oversized shirt was being bothersome too, but he would apparently "grow into it", as Miss Kafi put it.

The needle went in and the pain was minute compared to the other things he had been through before. He didn't feel much different, but what was he expecting anyway? The nurse gave him a sticker for his 'bravery' and off he went to class, wondering if there was even anything to be suspicious about in the first place.

He went straight back to his classroom and sat down, ready to begin his work.

_'Hmm…I don't have any ideas!'_ He was sure he had some brilliant idea earlier, but he must have forgotten, even though it wasn't that long ago.

_'C'mon brain! Be creative!'_ He looked around and noticed that not many others had begun working, they kept restarting their drawings and what they wanted to write.

_'This needs to be perfect, otherwise I won't win!'_

Raditz reminded himself of what was at stake and another thought popped into his head:

It didn't matter if he won, he should be grateful for the experience and happy for the person who won instead. He then shook his head, feeling disgusted he had thought such a thing.

_'As if I'll be a loser!'_ Raditz told himself that he was going to win, undoubtedly, and that he shouldn't think like that.

_'Remember what Papa told you: A Saiyan without pride is not a Saiyan at all!'_ Raditz tried to make himself work again, willing his hand to draw whatever lackluster idea was in his mind. Drawing himself as a hero was something he was very good at, something he did throughout most of his school days on Planet Vegeta, landing him in trouble, of course, so why did the task seem impossible to him at that moment?

Soon, the bell rang and the children were allowed to go to break, leaving the room in a more orderly fashion than usual.

"Jeez…I've hardly done anything!" La'tei mentioned and Zaffra agreed, "Time went so fast and…I just didn't know what to draw!"

"Yeah, it's like everyone just kinda had a creative block at the same time!" Raditz added, then changed the subject by asking what game they wanted to play in the courtyard.

"Uh…what games do we usually play?" Zaffra asked. "It's been a while so I forgot!"

Raditz raised an eyebrow, "But…we played last week."

"Oh, right! Wait…what did we play?" She asked again, making Raditz a little confused.

"Weren't we playing Galactic Zap?" Raditz himself was trying hard to remember, it was like all his memories were fuzzy.

"Why don't we go and talk to the Ginyu Force? They're taking questions from students in the hall!" La'tei suggested, which was a little strange of him, being a boy who loved playing the Galactic Zap game, since make-believe was always more preferable to reality. Zaffra agreed that it was a good idea, so they went and Raditz's confusion only increased once he saw most of the children in the hall, even Vegeta.

They all sat and listened, none of them disobedient or rowdy like before. The only visible difference in them, however, were the stickers on their jumpers that varied in design, all a sign that they had been through the injection. It was almost as if they were in a trance, staring up at the stage where the force stood, bragging about their achievements. Raditz did find their story somewhat interesting, though it was nothing compared to the caliber of his father's tales of battle.

The young Saiyan looked around, and saw Zarbon just outside. Since it was not a formal assembly, he was allowed to leave and chase his master who had turned down the hallway.

"Master Zarbon!" He called out to him.

"Hm?" The rather feminine alien turned around and smiled at the boy. "Oh, Raditz! What a pleasure it is to see you again! Are you feeling alright after your injection?" Zarbon inquired as he adjusted the jewelry that adorned him.

"Well… that's what I wanted to talk about…" Raditz built up the courage to ask such a thing, hoping not to sound too crazy. "Do you think… it could have any side-effects?"

His master looked puzzled and chuckled, "Well, I doubt they'd give anything with dangerous side effects to children! I guess… your arm will be kind of sore for a day or so, but there's no need to worry, remember?" Zarbon came up to Raditz, bending down and placing his hands on the child's shoulder.

"You're safe here, Raditz. I know you may not believe me, but you're much safer here than you ever could have been on a primitive planet such as your own!"

Raditz didn't know what to believe anymore.

His master left swiftly and Raditz was prepared to go back to class as the bell rang, like everyone else, marching back in a calm, orderly fashion, somewhat robotic. He, however, was able to resist conformity and snuck into the hall where Jeice sat on the edge of the stage taking in his surroundings, the rest of the team having already left.

Gathering up his courage yet again, Raditz approached the young man who had inspired him.

"Huh? Shouldn't you be in class, kid?" Jeice asked once he had stopped eyeballing the hall.

"Please don't tell!" Raditz implored and stated, as confidently as he could, "My name is Raditz, sir, and… I'm one of your biggest fans!" His tail swished joyously behind him and his eyes sparkled as they gazed upon the celebrity.

Jeice grinned, "Oh, uh, cheers mate!"

"I would have given you my Spaceball League cap to sign, but obviously I don't have it because a meteor hit my planet and destroyed everyone and everything so I can't!" Raditz felt himself going red, he was so embarrassed and nervous he could hardly speak properly.

"Well… this school has its own little league, which is where I got my start! I'm sponsoring the next tournament, which'll be held in Spring! How old are you?" It felt like Jeice was giving him the opportunity of a lifetime, even though the opportunity was already there.

"Me? I-I'm turning 8 in a few months, Jeice, uh, sir!" He stuttered and Jeice told him that he should try for the team. "I'll be coming to watch the tournament, so you'd best be bringing your A-game, kid!"

"Thank you, sir! I will sir!" Raditz bowed politely and left the hall, feeling confident, though he couldn't quite forget his troubles yet.

He made it to registration just after the bell had rung and apologised to his teacher, in a way that surprised, yet pleased her.

"All of you have been so well-behaved today!" She seemed somewhat concerned, but was glad they weren't being bothersome.

The children did their best in their work, but their efforts were not very creative. After submitting their entries, the children had a special lesson, giving them more detail about the Ginyu Force and what brilliant things they did across the universe, and about the events going on outside of school.

"Try your best to do as many of these as you can! Showing your dedication to the PTO will go on your permanent records, and some of you can earn awards through special schemes and activities!"

Raditz was suddenly inspired to take on as much of these activities as he could, and so were other students. He figured that talking to Jeice must have given him the idea to put his name on all the sign-up sheets, and seeing that the Ginyu Force were so successful inspired his friends, who were all signing up; giving away what little free time they had within the empire, to support the 'righteous cause' of the Organisation.

* * *

"So, are you going to play for the school Spaceball team, La'tei?" Raditz asked, his mouth half-full with food. The dining hall was quieter than usual. The children who usually only let certain people sit on 'their' table, were inviting others, and everyone was getting along, it seemed. There were no food fights, no arguments, no pushing in lines on that day, an rare thing, to say the least.

La'tei nodded and Moka boasted, "La'tei's the best at spaceball, you'll never beat him! My big brother is the best player on the planet, and someday I'll be just as awesome!"

La'tei laughed, and told his little brother that he wasn't really that good.

"Did Dad teach you?" Moka asked and La'tei nodded again. "Yeah, our father played professionally in the team… it's how he met Mom."

"How cute!" Zaffra sighed longingly, "I hope to find a boyfriend in the most romantic way possible!"

The boys retched, and joked that being in love was a stupid concept, though it was apparent that only Raditz really believed that, despite him having witnessed it in his own parents' relationship, though he never quite understood them.

Following a moment of silence, where they ate their food without interruption, Raditz inquired, "Hey… do you guys feel… _weird_ after the injection?"

"Yeah, I feel better!" Moka answered. "I'm not scared anymore!"

"You know what… I felt good too, like… more focused." Zaffra stated.

"Honestly, I wouldn't mind if they gave us more, I mean, I aced that quiz today!" La'tei was referring to the daily quiz about current affairs which the children were given daily, just before lunch. It was a test to see how much they knew about what was going on in the world currently: successfully conquered planets, destroyed planets, and wars. La'tei usually did terribly, his memory was awful and he just wasn't bright enough to do the questions involving counting things within the time given to them.

"Those injections make us stronger…I wouldn't mind having more." Vegeta finally opened his mouth to speak. Raditz's friends happily agreed, but still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly off about it.

* * *

When they came home, the boys went their separate ways as they typically did: La'tei and Moka going down to the little flat in the basement, and Raditz and Vegeta going upstairs. The lift was still undergoing repairs, so the boys raced up the stairs, looking at it as another form of exercise. If it was something to make them stronger, then it was a good thing instead of a hindrance.

They opened the door but Nappa was nowhere to be found. A note was left on the fridge, which hummed loudly, overtaking the noise of the television that crackled with static. The note was written in Saiyan, of course, and read:

"Gone out to the bank, I'll be back to make something to eat by 7pm. There's stuff in the fridge if you want a snack. -Nappa"

Vegeta sat on the sofa and flicked through the channels on the television.

"Stupid aerial!" He growled, and threw a sweet left on the table at it, which somehow fixed it. Raditz opened the fridge.

_'Eww..'_ He thought, as he held his nose and disposed of the rotting raw meat and vegetables in the fridge. The only edible items were a massive leg, and steak of a Krokatabeest, but they were uncooked. Raditz did know how to cook a dish using that meat and what vegetables they had left, but he figured the other Saiyans would be furious that he hadn't cooked for them earlier.

_'Once they taste my delicious food, I'll have to cook for them all the time!'_ He weighed his options: cook a fantastic meal and hope his comrades won't be mad, or just wait for Nappa to return, and suffer through another one of his revolting meals.

_'Ugh, If I have to suffer another mouthful of Zalirik stew, I'll kill myself!'_ Raditz thought, and decided to cook instead.

He pulled out the heavy pieces of meat out of the fridge and set them down on the kitchen counter with a thud. He wiped the sweat off his brow and moved the vegetables too, not noticing his prince staring at him.

"What in the name of Goddess Salsafie are you doing, low-class?!" The harsh tone of his prince startled him, causing him to drop a few of the vegetables. He rapidly picked them up and placed them on the counter.

"Uh, making roast Krokatabeest with some vegetables on the side, my prince?" Raditz meekly answered.

_"**YOU** CAN COOK?!"_ He yelled, and Raditz scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously.

_"YOU COULD COOK THIS ENTIRE TIME, YET YOU LET NAPPA MAKE ALL THOSE **DISGUSTING** DISHES?!"_ Prince Vegeta was fuming and Raditz searched his mind for a good excuse.

"Uh, I-I'm not _that_ good… but I can make this dish well!"

Vegeta calmed down a lot quicker than expected and told Raditz, "I'll forgive you, but only if this is as good as you say! This meat is so low quality, no wonder you peasants had to eat it all the time." Vegeta insulted him. Raditz ignored him and began cooking the meal. Even though he hadn't cooked it, or even eaten it in what felt like eons, but, in reality, was around half a year, his memory was good enough to allow him to successfully cook it.

Despite the cooking equipment not being the best, Raditz had managed to complete the meal, more or less like he would at home, though some of the spices were missing, but it tasted good nonetheless.

"Hmm…fine. You're a surprisingly decent cook, low-class." Vegeta gave one of his rare compliments as he munched on the piece of meat he had been given. The boys shared the large steak between them and left the leg of meat for Nappa, who returned home shortly after they finished; the food still warm enough.

"Am I going insane or is that roast Krokatabeest?!" He exclaimed in shock upon catching sight of the meal.

"Raditz is able to cook!" Vegeta informed him, saying how he was going to incur his wrath for not making any food earlier but changed his mind, slightly complimenting the low-class again.

"Where did you learn to cook like that?!" Nappa was in awe of the child's ability, just after eating one xeggute stem.

"My mother was a butcher so we were able to get lots of meat for free. She was an amazing cook, better than me, and she used to teach me." Raditz answered, smiling at the fond memory.

The evening melted away. The Saiyans chattered about food and cooking, and it was clear that the meal had cheered them all up. Nappa also was the bearer of good news for once, the shortage of missions, which meant they had no money, was fully compensated for by the bank.

"We should have enough to live off for a month or so. Hopefully, we'll have some work to do by then." Nappa told them, and soon after watching the news with his comrades, Raditz headed to his bedroom.

He was able to fall asleep for once, feeling decently full with food, something he hadn't felt in a long while. He woke up after he thought he'd heard a strange noise from one of the rooms below him, and was unable to fall asleep again. The thoughts in his head had become as loud and confusing as they were prior to the injection, which only got him thinking more. Raditz thought about how his friends were acting because of it, and how he also felt after it. A conclusion had finally appeared in his mind, though it made his stomach flip upside down, and his heart quicken in pace. A sudden jolt shot through the base of his tail to the tip.

_'It couldn't be…could it?'_


	17. A Frightening Discovery

**hola.****i hope u enjoy, as usual and please remember to fav and review and stuff...i want 10 favs and reviews so i can die happy :)****please check out my other fic, as well as the fic done by my lovely beta reader RoyalBlueRoses or i will have to hunt you fuckers down-**

* * *

Raditz kept his suspicions to himself for some time; still feeling conflicted, and somewhat insane for believing his own conspiracy. As the week progressed, Raditz noticed changes in himself and his friends again; the children began returning to their normal behaviour, something that relieved Raditz, but not his friends. He told himself to forget about his suspicions, hoping it was all over, that the injections were only a one-time thing, but alas, they were not.

Friday morning came, and during the usual assembly, it was announced that the injections would become much more frequent than initially intended.

They would receive them every Monday.

This news didn't bother the children, all except Raditz, who asked his friends why they weren't even a little bit concerned.

"Why would we be? It's clearly safe, I mean…we're fine, aren't we?" Zaffra answered while on the way back to class.

"Yeah, besides, we felt weird on Monday, but it got better! I was able to focus more in class, plus I did better on the work, and the teachers say we're good for once, so what's the harm?" La'tei seemed rather excited about getting more injections, saying he wanted their effects to last longer.

"But, guys-" Raditz was going to tell them about his concerns, but was dragged away by his awful teacher, Miss Croe, who by this point had convinced Raditz she was most definitely an evil witch from the depths of Hell. Raditz thought he heard her murmur that Raditz was beyond the help of the injections, a murmur which both offended and frightened him.

_'There's no way I can convince my friends if they get addicted to it!' _He thought, hopelessly.

_'I wonder why it doesn't work as much on me…'_

He pondered on it during class. At first, he thought that perhaps it just wasn't as effective on Saiyans, then remembered that Vegeta was just as brainwashed as the rest of them, but soon realised the _true_ reason.

_'If I tell them how I know…they'll find out about me…! How could they ever be friends with me if they knew?!'_ Raditz couldn't afford to think of ways to solve his dilemma then, otherwise Miss Croe would send him out of class for not working hard enough, so he decided to think more on what to do during break, which came quickly.

"Raditz?" Zaffra called, and snapped him out of his thoughts as the bell rang.

"Hm?" He looked up to her face, which was full of concern.

"Are you ok?" She asked, as was typical of her usual caring self. "Usually you're the first to leave this room for break, so it's a little strange that you've hardly packed your things up."

"Oh, right!" Raditz laughed nervously, getting up on his feet and leaving, his bag only half zipped up, which Zaffra fixed for him.

As he was racing down the hallway towards the playground, Raditz almost slammed into La'tei, his head was turned since he thought he saw a doctor leaving the Headmistress' office, but couldn't be sure, being he was so out of it that morning.

"You ok, Raditz?" La'tei inquired, handing Raditz some sweets from within his school bag, something Raditz tried to do a few weeks ago, but ended up having it confiscated.

"Yeah, I was just daydreaming again, sorry!" He played it off, and Zaffra asked about what he was going to say earlier, after assembly.

"Oh, that? It…was nothing." He lied, deception being one of his strong points. It didn't bother him that he was being dishonest, since his heart was in the right place, intention being stronger than action. That was something his mother had instilled in him. He recalled how she used to tell him that doing bad things were ok, as long as they were necessary, and for the right reasons.

They believed him instantly, and decided to play the Galactic Zap game, though it did take some convincing from Raditz. Vegeta opted to sit on the wall with his usual scowl plastered on his chubby face; which made Raditz conclude that Vegeta was indeed the most miserable 5 year old in existence. Though, he did watch them play quite intently, wondering how they didn't feel stupid, acting something out that wasn't even real.

The game was a good break from all the thoughts racing in Raditz's mind, and he was glad to have such fun friends, even though he still longed to have his friends from Planet Vegeta back.

_'At least it's Friday!'_ Raditz remembered, which did make everything seem better, even though it was far from ok, in his eyes, anyway.

* * *

It was past midnight.

Raditz decided that now would be a good time to construct a plan for next week, or at least to write down the effects of the injection. He left the apartment, zooming off into the sky, the frigid temperature sunk into his core, even though he had brought his blanket with him, it never did do a good job keeping him warm usually.

Landing by his little cave, Raditz observed the waves for a few minutes, calming him. There was something so mesmerising, so hypnotic about them; the way they crashed on the beach gently and pulled back in, only to be thrust out once more. He then entered hiDs little cave, scouter in hand to put an alarm on, just in case he fell asleep and woke up too late to return before Vegeta and Nappa found out he was missing. Then, Raditz sat against the cave wall, which was slightly damp.

Opening up his little notebook, Raditz turned on his torch so he could see the pages clearly. He scribbled down notes about the side effects of whatever was in those injections, and about his week at school in general, making a record to look back on, just as he did on Planet Vegeta.

He decided to read back through some pages, so he flicked through them with his eyes squeezed shut and stopped on a random page, which happened to be written when he was 5, reading the words in his mind and reliving the memory:

_'Today was a very fun day. Mama took me to the beach this morning because it was a nice day and we had a picnic on the sand. I love how the waves move, it's so pretty! I asked Mama how the sea works and she told me that Goddess Salsafie, who controls the moon, makes the waves move. Goddess Salsafie is responsible for our victories in war, especially against those evil, rotten Tuffles!_

_Anyway, Papa came home early and surprised us on the beach. It was kinda annoying though, because he ate lots of the food, which I was gonna eat! He trained me, which was super fun, but kinda hurt, though that's all part of the experience, I guess._

_We were there for ages, and even went swimming! I'm not a good swimmer, but Mama always says that "Practice makes perfect!"_

_I don't know if that's true or not, but I think I am getting better._

_I also found a pretty seashell to add to my secret collection. I think when I have enough shells, I'll make a necklace for Mama!_

_When we came home, we ate lunch in the city because Papa got paid that day. It was yummy food from a street vendor and we walked around the Grand Arena, where there were posters up for the next tournament. My Papa promised to take me, he's told me all about what it's like to be there, it must be so exciting! Papa fought in one of the divisions when he was 14 and he won! It wasn't a big-league tournament, but I'm sure it was still amazing!_

_I want to be just like Papa! He's a hero, a real one, and I can't wait to make him proud someday!'_

Raditz didn't read anymore; a strange feeling had overtaken him. He went to sleep, and awoke early the next morning. As dawn greeted him, he sat on the cliff's edge watching the waves again, remembering that day on the beach he had forgotten until he read that entry.

Tilting his head up to the sky, with the beauty of the sunrise overwhelming, and the brightness of the Sun making him squint, he read a prayer. Though, not in his head like most mornings. He hoped his words; those small whispers, drowned out by the sound of the wind and sea, would reach the Gods above, reigning almighty.

He wanted his parents to hear the words of the prayer they taught him, to be proud of him, for remembering that miniscule thing that in that moment meant the world to him.

* * *

Monday's arrival was swift, and Raditz wasted no time in putting his plan into action. Yes, he would have to endure another injection, but he knew the effects had little effect on him, and would most likely weaken with time.

He stood in line again, waiting to get another jab in the arm and a sticker to go with it; a sign he had been injected.

_'Hmmm…maybe next time I could just put on the sticker, so people think I've already done it.'_ His bright mind was already full of ideas for how he was going to tackle this issue, a fight he was going to have to win alone.

Once he had been injected, he left the hall, but did not go back to class like he was instructed. Instead, he made sure the coast was clear, and snuck into the headmistress' office; finding the door unlocked, and the room thankfully empty. Raditz knew time was scarce, Berryblue would return from her daily call with Lord Frieza, something Raditz found out she did from Zarbon, who was a great help in his endeavours, though he was unaware. Also, if he was not quick, a teacher would notice his absence and start looking for him.

He made sure no one could enter and searched her entire desk, which was perfectly neat and organised. Raditz was sure to put everything back in its place once he had finished searching for some form of evidence that his theory on the injection held some truth, evidence that he could use to get his friends to believe him. There was nothing of interest on the desk, apart from some fancy stationery and trinkets.

He looked around; his eyes were drawn into the tall cabinet that was against the wall, a large structure that held tons of student's information, including his own, stood beneath a portrait of Berryblue holding Lord Frieza as an infant. Raditz slid one drawer open carefully, making as little noise as possible, whilst balancing on top of a rather wonky wooden stool. He flicked through the files, searching for something that was useful.

His search was proving to be unsuccessful, though, he _did_ find the files of his friends. His curiosity tempted him to take a peek inside of them.

_'I bet they're all hiding something too…'_ Raditz sneakily read through them, though he already knew most of the information in them. He did learn, however, that Moka and La'tei's father was indeed deceased, but he suspected that anyways, and that Zaffra only started school here this year, since she and her sister could not afford the scholarship they needed, but were given one by the government who took care of the fees for orphans in dire situations like hers.

Still though, there was nothing related to the injections, so he opened more drawers, finding information from each class, but nothing of use. After so much searching, Raditz had become quite fed up and frustrated and considered leaving, but then a thought popped into his head:

_'Maybe there's something in Haryana's file I can use against him?!'_

Raditz looked at the door and listened for any footsteps. No-one was around, it seemed. He turned to the clock, and decided he could spare just a moment longer before returning to class, telling Miss Croe he was in the bathroom as an excuse. He reached into the same section of the cabinet as earlier and grabbed the file, the precious knowledge at his small fingertips, but just as he was about to pull out the solution to his problems concerning Haryana, he heard light footsteps that were hard to recognise approaching.

Raditz immediately put it back and heard a familiar, pleasant tune being hummed by the person. Raditz hid under the desk, which he thought was rather large for such a small person like Berryblue, hoping not to get caught. His heart raced so rapidly, it felt like it was going to burst out of his chest, but he was able to see the shoes worn by his master from underneath the desk, and the pleasant humming confirmed it was Zarbon, which put him somewhat at ease.

Though he was trying not to be caught, at least with Zarbon he wouldn't be in tons of trouble like he would with someone else. Zarbon opened up the cabinet, and went through the files of the students, mumbling to himself, then whispered to himself in confusion,

"I wonder why those few aren't arranged alphabetically…? Berryblue must have been having a bad day…" The man restored order to the files that Raditz realised must have been the ones of his friends, and he had forgotten to put them back in the right spots.

Zarbon pressed the button on the side of his scouter and talked into it, "I can't seem to find anything in his file saying that he is immune to Xenatine!" Zarbon said, then continually searched through Raditz's file. Though utterly terrified, Raditz did find out the truth, the one thing he had suspected. Zarbon had unknowingly admitted that the injections were related to Xenatine, and a smile crept onto Raditz's face, feeling incredibly smug about being right. However, he quickly remembered the severity of his situation, and wished that Zarbon would hurry up and leave already.

Zarbon slammed the cabinet shut, and Raditz exhaled, relieved. Just as his master was going to leave, he knocked over the trash bin by the desk, making it fall towards Raditz, who made himself as small as possible, clinging to the edges of the desk, in the hopes that as his master bent down to clear it up, he would go unnoticed.

"Raditz?!" Zarbon exclaimed after his eyes, which had brilliant vision, caught sight of Raditz's tail that had twitched involuntarily.

"Uh…hi?" He laughed, nervously.

Zarbon dragged him out, asking what in the HFIL he was doing, and why he was there, and not in class.

"I…was sent here by my teacher…I'm in trouble…" He lied, pretending to be remorseful.

"Why are you under a desk?!" He quizzed the boy, who was luckily skilled in the art of giving believable answers in almost every situation, and rapidly.

"I was told to wait for Miss Berryblue to return, then…I got bored and was messing with a nice pen on her desk, but I dropped it and went to pick it up-"

"Why didn't you just get out from under the desk with the pen and tell me why you were here?!"

"Uh…I was…scared to tell you I was in trouble again! I don't want you to be disappointed with me, master!" He apologised, and Zarbon unexpectedly pulled him close, the light, fruity fragrance of the man heavily noticeable to the boy's sensitive nose.

"My dear Raditz…you should not worry about me being disappointed…"

"Huh?" He looked up at the man, who warmly smiled, his pearly whites practically shimmering in the light.

Zarbon held both his hands on the child's firm shoulders, gripping him tighter than Raditz liked as he bent down and whispered,

"However, I don't like your level of dishonesty, Raditz."

"But-" He began, ready to come back at him, saying how the school was incredibly dishonest about those injections that they claimed were helpful.

"Shh..." Zarbon stopped him, telling him that it doesn't matter as long as he learnt his lesson. His master told him that his teacher had reported him missing in class, so he went to look for him.

_'He realises I heard him talking about Xenatine, right?'_

Raditz apologised again and turned to leave, but Zarbon stopped him, grabbing his shoulder once again.

"Eavesdropping…is very rude…and telling people about what you hear isn't a very good thing to do, now, is it?" His sweet voice had a sinister undertone, sending a shiver down Raditz's spine. He couldn't forget how his master had subtly threatened him, the words still echoing in his mind as he went back to class.

He gave his teacher an excuse, though she was still angry at him. His friends asked where he really was, and he told them the same thing he told his teacher.

_'Crapbaskets...he knows that I know! Looks like I'm going to have to improve my ninja skills if I'm going to do this!'_ He thought to himself.

* * *

Raditz remained fairly distant throughout the whole day. His friends were obviously worried about his lack of joking around, and absence from their conversation, since Raditz tended to do things like that whenever he had the chance. He told them that he was fine, just tired, and felt no guilt about lying to them. Yet again, this time telling himself that these people were _not_ his friends, they were brainwashed robots; all of them!

Even Vegeta had become sociable with the help of the Xenatine filled injection, like all the children, they became helpful, convenient and patriotic, to an almost frightening degree. Raditz had seen movies like this before, in which the hero had to pretend he was one of the brainwashed people. So, he agreed with what they were saying, acting just like them in sight of the teachers who patrolled them all day, taking notice of their behaviour.

_'There's gotta be adults that can help me!'_

Raditz knew that his master would try to keep him silent; his trust in the man had severely decreased. The only other adults that may believe him after seeing the results for themselves, were Nappa and Miss Kafi, so Raditz planned to ask them about the changes they had seen in the boys, and could hopefully convince them to help.

* * *

The children did not race home, no, the Xenatine they were filled with made them much more sensible, which was terribly boring. Raditz did notice he was slightly affected by the injections, a part of his own thoughts telling him he was stupid and that he should just conform, that it was better for him and his friends, but the strong, determined Saiyan side of him was going to fight back, no matter what.

Opening the door to his home, Raditz was disappointed to find that Nappa had left for training. First of all, why didn't he get an invite? Secondly, now he couldn't tell him what he found out. There was something a little suspicious about his disappearance, but Raditz brushed it off.

Vegeta was much more tame after the injections, he was hardly prone to his usual angry outbursts, and sat watching the news on TV, whilst taking care of any homework he had. Raditz decided to try and find something to eat. In school he didn't feel particularly hungry, a strange thing for a Saiyan boy to feel, but he supposed the news of what was going on right below everyone's noses was enough to make him feel too sick to eat. Now, however, his hunger had returned, and upon searching through the fridge, he found some leftovers that were still ok to eat.

He set it out for himself on the table, but just as he was about to forget his problems and begin devouring the food he had made unwillingly the day before, Raditz remembered that he needed to tell Miss Kafi.

He left the food on the table, and raced downstairs, (the elevator was still undergoing repairs), leaving the Saiyan prince feeling very confused.

He regained his breath as he knocked on the door of Miss Kafi's quaint home, beneath the apartments.

"Oh, hello, Raditz!" She welcomed him in.

"Hi..." He panted, feeling pretty breathless, and pitiful for being so unfit, mentally reminding himself to train harder.

"Jeez, were you really in such a hurry to see me?" She joked, and then told him that if he was here to see her sons that he should come back later.

"I can't believe those boys are actually doing their homework!" She smiled, telling him that he could come bring his work down too, if he still had the energy. "Why don't you bring Vegeta down too? You guys can help each other too, and I'll bring yummy snacks!" She was about to enter the kitchen, but Raditz followed, carefully shutting the door behind them so no-one could hear. Puzzled, Miss Kafi was about to ask what was wrong, but Raditz told her to be quiet before inquiring, with a serious tone, "Miss Kafi, have you noticed anything _unusual_ about La'tei and Moka…and even Vegeta?" He spoke softly, so as not to alert the boys who chattered in the next room, and who didn't know Raditz was even in their home.

"Huh?" Miss Kafi blinked, then thought for a moment.

"Well…" She began as she leaned against the fridge, which was decorated with colourful fridge magnets and certificates her sons had earned from school, as well as some drawings they had done.

"They've been so focused on their schoolwork! Homework is always a struggle in my house, and I've been meaning to get the boys a tutor, but they've been doing so well in school!"

"…anything else?" Raditz asked, hoping she'd realise just how abnormal this was.

"Hmm…I guess they're much more quiet?" Raditz asked if there was anything bad she had noticed, but she said she couldn't think of anything.

"Why are you asking anyway, sweetie? It's always good to talk to people about stuff!" Raditz knew just how much she cared about him, her kindness was something that was uncommon in the world he lived in, but he just couldn't tell her the truth. Miss Kafi was a great listener, but had already caught onto Raditz's ways of over-exaggeration and occasional lies before, so she would most likely not believe him.

Besides, what could she do _anyway?_

He concluded it wasn't fair to involve her.

"It's nothing…" He smiled.

"You sure?" She didn't quite believe him.

Raditz nodded and said his goodbyes, but she asked him to stay a little longer, to which he replied, "I…can't, I need to cook dinner, but thanks for the offer!"

He left, going slowly up the stairs this time.

"Where did you go?" Vegeta asked upon Raditz's entry. Raditz said he just needed to ask La'tei something about their homework, and Vegeta believed him. Sauntering back over to the counter, finally ready to eat, Raditz was perplexed when he saw the food he had left out was no longer where it was before. He looked around the room, and even opened up the fridge again, wondering if he had put it somewhere else and forgot, but alas, he could not find it.

Vegeta came up from behind him, putting a plate in the sink, with what appeared to be the remnants of the leftovers he had put out for himself smeared on the dirty plate, the colour of the sauce telling him for sure. Vegeta slinked away quietly towards his room, but didn't get far before Raditz accused him of taking his food.

"Vegeta! I haven't even eaten today!" He yelled at his prince, who was a selfish brat, for sure.

"So? It's your fault anyway! You didn't eat in school, and you left food out without telling me you were going to eat it!" Vegeta retorted back, and Raditz stuttered, trying to find a suitable comeback, one that wouldn't make him seem childish or idiotic. But, Vegeta _did _have a solid point, so he just growled as the prince closed his door, laughing at Raditz.

Raditz decided it would be best to get started on cooking a new meal, one of his favourites to cheer him up. Sure, Vegeta and Nappa had tastes far too rich to enjoy such a 'peasant' dish as Vegeta had called it before. It required very basic ingredients that were very cheap, so it was eaten by many low class families on Planet Vegeta, though as time progressed and the reign of Lord Frieza brought some new changes, poverty became less widespread, though the Saiyans always felt that they were treated differently.

Raditz recalled his father rambling on in the hazy summer evenings, a mug of beer going warm in his hands, educating the boy, whilst his mother just shook her head and did whatever needed to be done.

_"Bad things happen in this Organisation, Raditz."_ He would whisper to him.

_"They spy on us. All this fancy tech? The scouters, space pods…even the TV." _Some of this used to frighten Raditz, but his mother always told him it was nothing, that his father was being dramatic, but now he realised that he was right.

_"A friend of mine had a son a few years older than you, but just as curious, and a smartass too…said he found some kinda sex trafficking network going on behind the scenes, you know? Something that was covered up." _Raditz didn't understand him, or what sex trafficking was, and his father quickly remembered not to tell him, changing the subject.

_"Uh, it doesn't matter what it means, boy! When his son accused them…he had solid evidence…and you know what happened?"_

_"What?" _He remembered looking up into his father's eyes, longing to know.

_"Let's just say…my friend didn't see his son again."_

_'I won't end up like that, Papa!'_

He promised him as he cooked the meal, acting as if nothing was wrong as Nappa opened the door, asking why he was stirring so vigorously.

"Jeez, boy, what's got you so angry-looking?" He laughed heartily, and Raditz just played it off by telling him that Vegeta ate his food.

For the rest of the evening, Raditz acted like there was nothing wrong. Whenever the urge came to ask Nappa, to tell him about the injections and about Vegeta, he always became too nervous to speak.

He went to bed early, lying on the lumpy mattress and staring up at the ceiling, trying to figure out how he would implement the next phase of his plan. Though, as he would soon find out, things don't always go as expected…


End file.
